FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 7, 2020) – The Northern Arizona women's basketball makes a brief return to the Walkup Skydome on Thursday when the Lumberjacks host Sacramento State at 6:30 p.m. before turning right back around and traveling to Idaho State for a Saturday contest. On the back end of a home-and-away week, NAU and Idaho State will tip-off in Pocatello, Idaho at 2 p.m.
Led by junior
Khiarica Rasheed's career-high 31 points – the most by a Big Sky player in a game this season – and redshirt sophomore
Nina Radford's 26 points, the Lumberjacks captured their first conference win last Saturday, 88-82, on the road at Weber State. With the win, NAU moved to 4-8 overall and 1-2 in league play.
In conference games only, Rasheed leads the Big Sky in scoring with 23.0 points per game on the heels of her highest scoring game of her career. Rasheed, who ranks second overall with 14.8 points per game for the season, is shooting 63.2 percent from the field through the first three conference games.
Rasheed's outing was her third game of 20 or more points this season, a number that was also matched by Radford last Saturday. Radford ranks ninth in the conference in scoring overall at 13.2 points per game while ranking 19th in the country in free throw percentage at 88.6.
Redshirt junior
Caitlin Malvar has scored in double-figures in two of NAU's first three conference games in addition to leading the Big Sky with 5.0 assists per game in league play. Malvar, who continues to rank in the top 50 nationally in assists per game, totaled six assists versus Weber State last week marking her fifth game with six or more assists this season.
NAU won two of the three head-to-head meetings versus Sacramento State last season. After both teams won on their home courts, the Lumberjacks defeated the Hornets, 74-69, in the first round of the conference tournament on March 11 this past spring.
The Hornets are searching for their first Big Sky win after their 80-62 loss at Idaho State last Saturday dropped their conference record to 0-3. Sacramento State is 2-10 overall this season, but five of its losses have been by six points or less.
The 'Jacks also split the regular season series with Idaho State last season, but each team won on the road. The Bengals handed the Lumberjacks an 80-69 loss in the Skydome before NAU turned the tables with an 81-77 win on Feb. 7 in Pocatello. In the victory, redshirt junior
Jacey Bailey (25) and sophomore
Regan Schenck (23) both scored over 20 points, which was the last time a pair of Lumberjacks scored 20 points in a game before Rasheed and Radford did so last weekend.
Fans can catch this week's games on Pluto TV
online and on the Pluto TV app with Thursday's home game on Channel 539 and Saturday's road game on Channel 543.
Fans can purchase season and single game tickets for the 2019-20 NAU women's basketball season online at
nauathletics.com/tickets or by calling the Lumberjack Ticket Office at 928-523-0639.
About Sacramento State:
Record: 2-10, 0-3 Big Sky
All-Time Series: NAU, 33-16
Last Meeting: NAU, 74-69 (March 11, 2019)
About Idaho State:
Record: 6-6, 2-1 Big Sky
All-Time Series: ISU, 43-27
Last Meeting: NAU, 81-77 (Feb. 7, 2019)
