FORT COLLINS, Colo. (December 14, 2020) – The Northern Arizona men's basketball team could not sustain their late first half surge in an eventual 91-52 loss to Colorado State in Moby Arena. Monday's game of runs ended with the Rams landing the final blow as the Lumberjacks fell to 0-3 this season.
"The game got away from us in the second half," said head coach
Shane Burcar. "We climb back within 10 with eight or nine minutes left and then it got away from us. We need to work a little harder to figure this out. We've got a lot of work to do."
The Lumberjacks initially stemmed the tide after the Rams broke open the first half with a 15-0 run, but the 'Jacks could not survive a 26-0 haymaker by the home team late in the second half. With the win on their home court, the Rams are now 2-0.
Redshirt junior
Nik Mains got the Lumberjacks off to a positive start with a bucket on NAU's first trip down the floor and then knocked down a triple a couple of possessions later to spark a 5-2 game-opening edge. However, a lengthy scoring drought ensued as NAU missed 10 of its next 11 shots.
While the 'Jacks struggled to find the bottom of the net, the Rams rebounded from a slow start themselves to go on a 19-2 run that flipped the scoreboard in Colorado State's favor, 21-7.
Redshirt freshman
Jackson Larsen snapped NAU's scoreless drought of more than six minutes with his first career points, which immediately spurred a Lumberjack comeback at the 7:28 mark of the first half. His field goal ignited a 12-0 NAU run, including threes by junior
Cameron Shelton and redshirt junior
Luke Avdalovic, that closed the Colorado State lead to 21-19.
The run was part of a strong first half finish with NAU hitting on eight of its final 11 shots from the deck cutting Colorado State's double-digit lead to just 35-32 at halftime.
Colorado State quickly stole the momentum out of the second half gates, knocking down three consecutive triples to open up a 44-32 lead within the first 90 seconds. The home team's lead grew to 57-37 with 14:00 remaining before NAU sliced its deficit once again.
Shelton imposed his will scoring nine of his team-high 18 points, including a pair of three-point plays, during a 13-3 run that brought the 'Jacks within 60-50 with 9:17 to play. Avdalovic's jumper in the lane capped the run, only for Colorado State to answer with 26 consecutive points.
Following Avdalovic's bucket, the Lumberjacks made just one of their last 11 shots as the Rams closed out the final nine minutes on a 36-2 run.
"The effort and the attitude are not a problem," Burcar said. "We just don't have the ability right now to apply game pressure."
After shooting 44 percent in the first half, NAU dipped to 28.6 percent in the second to finish the game at a 35.8 percent clip. Meanwhile, Colorado State shot 54.8 percent for the game and pulled away in the second half with a 10-for-13 performance behind the arc. For the game, the Rams were 11-for-22 from three-point range.
Shelton paced the Lumberjacks with 18 points – his highest total through the first three games of the season – and Avdalovic totaled 12 points. Mains finished with eight points, all coming in the first half. In his first career start, redshirt freshman
Carson Towt secured a team-best seven rebounds.
The Lumberjacks will head back home to the Rolle Activity Center for their first conference games of the season on Friday and Saturday. NAU will host the defending Big Sky regular season champions Eastern Washington at 12 p.m. both days on Pluto TV Channel 1058.
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