POCATELLO, Idaho (January 11, 2020) – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team overcame a slow start to notch their third consecutive victory, 70-59, over Idaho State on Saturday in Reed Gym. NAU's third straight win improved the Lumberjacks' conference record to 3-2, marking the program's best start to league play since the 2006-07 season.
Junior
Khiarica Rasheed imposed her will on the game in the second half, scoring 21 of her game-high 25 points after halftime. Rasheed was a perfect 9-for-9 in the second half from the field, and nearly outscored Idaho State by herself in the fourth quarter with 12 points to 16 total by the Bengals.
"Khia started hitting shots and we know when she starts to, we have to feed her," said head coach
Loree Payne. "She really knocked down some really critical shots and Jacey (Bailey) played some big-time defense with a couple of blocks in the fourth quarter. We really played composed in the fourth quarter and executed well."
Rasheed was 10-for-14 from the field for the game and added seven rebounds. Redshirt junior
Jacey Bailey chipped in 13 points and matched Rasheed's seven boards to go along with a career-high three blocks.
The 'Jacks (6-8 overall) held a slim advantage, 47-43, going into the fourth quarter before opening the period with a 9-2 run, which boosted their lead to 56-45 following a jumper by Rasheed. After the Bengals closed to 60-54 with less than three minutes remaining, Rasheed scored seven straight Lumberjack points during a 7-2 run that put NAU back up by 11, 67-56, with a minute left.
NAU started slowly, making just two of its first 11 attempts from the field as it fell behind, 21-7, in the first seven minutes of the game. The Lumberjacks gathered themselves though and finished the first quarter on a 6-0 run with baskets by Bailey, redshirt sophomore
Nina Radford and sophomore
Regan Schenck.
NAU's run to close the first quarter was just the start of a 21-0 extended run – the longest by the 'Jacks this season – well into the second quarter. Schenck's three from straight away gave NAU a 28-21 lead with under five minutes left in the first half.
The Bengals went over eight minutes without scoring – missing 13 consecutive field goal attempts – spanning the first and second quarters before they snapped the drought with a bucket with 4:37 before halftime. Idaho State proceeded to scored eight straight points to retake a 29-28 lead before going into halftime with a slim 31-30 advantage, but NAU's massive run was critical in getting the Blue & Gold back in the game.
"We missed a couple of easy buckets and we were a step slow defensively," Payne said. "Our team knew once we started playing like we are capable of, we would get back into it. We started executing much better, and having only six turnovers in the second half after 10 in the first half, helped us play composed down the stretch."
Rasheed's second half exploits started early as she powered an 8-0 NAU run in the third quarter with six points, which put the 'Jacks back in front, 38-34. Idaho State managed to tie it at 38-38, but that would be the last time the score would be even as junior
Lauren Orndoff started a brief, but important, five-point spurt by NAU with a layup.
The five-point run snapped the 38-38 tie and the Lumberjacks led for the final quarter and a half the rest of the way.
After going 10 years without a win in Pocatello, NAU has now emerged victorious in each of its last two trips to the Bengals' home. The victory was especially impressive considering NAU played a double overtime game at home on Thursday before hitting the road on Friday.
"It was huge for our team to finally see some success," Payne said. "It showed the resilience that our team has. We challenged them to be tougher to fight through fatigue and once they got their legs under them, they got going."
NAU shot a blistering 62.5 percent in the second half, including 66.7 percent in the fourth quarter, and finished the game at 49 percent overall. The Lumberjacks' defense also helped the Bengals to only 35.6 percent shooting with Idaho State's 59 points serving as a season-low allowed by NAU.
Radford added nine points and a team-high four assists, while Schenck scored seven points off the bench.
The Lumberjacks are back in the Walkup Skydome next week with their final homestand of the month. NAU hosts Southern Utah at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and Northern Colorado at 1 p.m. next Saturday.
