FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 7, 2020) – The Northern Arizona men's basketball team faces a split away-and-home week starting at The Nest on Thursday with an 8 p.m. MST tip-off versus Sacramento State. After Thursday's game, NAU will head back to Flagstaff to host Idaho State on Saturday in the Walkup Skydome at 4 p.m. MST.
Thursday's meeting with the Hornets will be streamed on Pluto TV Channel 533 and can be heard on the Lumberjack Radio Network with the Voice of the Lumberjacks
Mitch Strohman on the call. Strohman will have the call of Saturday's meeting with the Bengals on Pluto TV Channel 539 and the Lumberjack Radio Network.
The Lumberjacks head out on the road on Thursday with confidence after picking up their first conference win of the season last Saturday in the Dome. NAU finished the game strong to knock off Weber State, 72-64, with senior
Brooks DeBisschop leading the way with a career-high 18 points on a perfect 8-for-8 showing from the field.
Earning its first win over Weber State in nearly five years, NAU now sits at 7-5 overall and 1-2 in league play. Thursday's game will be the Lumberjacks' third conference game on the road in their first four as overall, NAU will open Big Sky play with five of seven away from home.
DeBisschop is averaging a team-high 13.0 points per game in conference play while shooting 85.7 percent from the field. Junior
Cameron Satterwhite, who has scored in double-figures in four consecutive games, is second with 12.3 points per game while sophomore
Cameron Shelton is averaging 11.7 points in league games.
The Lumberjacks have been lights out from three-point range in three conference games, shooting at a Big Sky leading 39.7 percent clip behind the arc. Sophomore
Nik Mains, Satterwhite and sophomore
Luke Avdalovic are all in the top 10 in three point percentage in conference play. As a team, NAU is averaging 8.3 three-point makes per game, most in the conference, thus far in the Big Sky slate.
Shelton paces the team for the season with 13.8 points per game and is second to DeBisschop (7.5) in rebounding at 6.7 per game.
NAU and Sacramento State will meet for the 56th time on Thursday. Both teams won on their opponents' home court during the regular season last year before the Hornets eliminated the Lumberjacks in the first round of the Big Sky Championship. After Sacramento State stole a 66-64 win in Flagstaff last season with a last-second shot, NAU bounced Sacramento State, 78-66, on the road. The teams met for a third time in Boise, Idaho where the Hornets ended the Lumberjacks' season with a 72-60 victory.
NAU leads the all-time series 39-16, including a 19-9 advantage in The Nest. The Lumberjacks have come away with wins in their last two visits to Sacramento, but overall the teams have split their last six matchups on the Hornets' court.
Overall, the 'Jacks have won three of the last five meetings against the Hornets.
NAU and Idaho State will meet for the 104th time on Saturday. Like the season series against Sacramento State last year, NAU and Idaho State both posted victories on the road. The Lumberjacks defeated the Bengals, 81-69, in Pocatello before the Bengals returned the favor in the Walkup Skydome, handing the 'Jacks a narrow 81-79 loss.
Idaho State leads the all-time series 56-47, but NAU has held home court with a 31-18 advantage in Flagstaff. Idaho State has won the last two head-to-head meetings in the Dome, but NAU won the four previous matchups at 7,000 feet from 2013-16.
Over the last four seasons, Idaho State has posted a 5-2 record against NAU.
