FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (December 13, 2020) – The Northern Arizona men's basketball team heads out on their first of two non-conference trips to the state of Colorado for a Monday night game against Colorado State at 6 p.m. Fans can tune in to the game on the Mountain West Network and the Lumberjack Radio Network.
Coming off a 74-50 home-opening loss to UC Riverside last Thursday, the Lumberjacks are 0-2 this season and hope to capture their first win before starting Big Sky conference play later this week. With a win on Monday, NAU will hope to avoid its first 0-3 start to a season in three years.
"It's going to be a big-time challenge," said head coach
Shane Burcar. "Monday more than anything, we'll get good personnel. It'll be more about us than anything. When I say that, we're going up there to win a basketball game. Things can switch quickly in sports and our mindset has to get there. We'll figure it out."
Redshirt junior
Luke Avdalovic and junior
Cameron Shelton are each leading the team in scoring at 14.0 points per game. Both players have scored in double-figures in each of NAU's first two games against Arizona and UC Riverside with Shelton tallying a team-best 13 points versus the Highlanders on Thursday. The Lumberjacks also received contributions from redshirt juniors
Jay Green and
Nik Mains with nine and eight points respectively.
On the glass, redshirt freshman
Carson Towt is coming off the bench to average 4.0 rebounds per game, which is tied for team-best honors with Shelton.
Monday's game between NAU and Colorado State was a late addition with the contest just announced last week following the Lumberjacks' postponed game at No. 1 Gonzaga scheduled for Dec. 12.
It will be the first meeting between the Lumberjacks and Rams in 11 years since Colorado State picked up a 64-56 victory over NAU on Dec. 20, 2009. The teams have split the first four all-time meetings with Colorado State earning victories in both of the matchups in Fort Collins.
Colorado State opened its season with an 89-77 victory against CSU Pueblo on Saturday. The Rams' first three games were postponed, leading way to Colorado State adding its games against both CSU Pueblo and NAU. Isaiah Stevens, last season's Mountain West Freshman of the Year, was selected to the preseason all-conference team. In the Rams' season opener, he led the team with six assists to just one turnover to go with 18 points against CSU Pueblo. David Roddy paced Colorado State with a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds and ranks fifth nationally at 25.0 points per game.
Monday will mark just the eighth game for NAU against a Mountain West team since the last time NAU faced Colorado State. The Lumberjacks last defeated a Mountain West foe on Nov. 20, 2014 (73-52 over Fresno State).
To stay up to date with the NAU men's basketball team, follow the Lumberjacks on
Twitter and
Instagram.
