DENVER, Colo. (December 21, 2020) – The Northern Arizona men's basketball team's offense continued their upward trend on Monday, but the Lumberjacks' season-best shooting was negated by 16 turnovers in a narrow 70-65 loss to Texas State. Despite outshooting the Bobcats, 56.8 percent to 54.5 percent, the Lumberjacks dropped their fifth straight game to start the season.
"We have to figure out something defensively," said head coach
Shane Burcar. "To shoot 57 percent from the floor and lose, that's a tough one to take. There were some bright spots for sure in this game, but there are no moral victories. We have to turn around tomorrow and come out and compete."
Playing Texas State (6-3) on a neutral court in Denver's Hamilton Gymnasium, the Lumberjacks (0-5) posted a season-best field goal percentage for the second consecutive game. However, NAU also turned the ball over a season-worst 16 times and was -7 in the turnover column. Texas State capitalized on NAU's miscues and outscored the 'Jacks by a 20-7 margin off turnovers.
Still, the Lumberjacks were relentless in their pursuit of the Bobcats, answering every run of Texas State's with a run of their own with the backcourt duo of junior
Cameron Shelton and freshman
Carter Mahaney leading the charge.
Shelton posted his second straight 20-point outing, finishing with a game-high 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting. He was also 7-for-11 at the free throw line, and led the team with six rebounds and six assists.
Off the bench, Mahaney played 36 minutes and notched his first career double-digit scoring game. Mahaney was 6-for-8 from the deck, and 2-for-4 from behind the arc, on his way to 14 points.
"Carter is a winner and has always been a winner," Burcar said. "Carter has come along a little quicker than we anticipated. He was 6-for-8 from the floor and Cam was 7-for-10 and I think they can help each other being on the floor together. Those two going 13-for-18 out of those two spots; that's a pretty good night."
Turnovers plagued the Lumberjacks in the first half, but a strong close to the half put NAU in a good position at the break down just 29-28. Ten Lumberjack miscues offset an otherwise efficient offensive first half as NAU shot 61.1 percent (11-for-18) before halftime.
After Mahaney tied the game at 13-13 with a nifty baseline floater, Texas State forced an NAU timeout following a 6-0 run to move ahead 19-13 with 8:45 to play in the half. The Bobcat lead grew to 24-15 with five minutes remaining before the Lumberjacks went on a surge of their own.
Shelton started a 9-0 run with a triple and then found sophomore
Isaiah Lewis for a bucket on the following possession. Redshirt junior
Nik Mains knocked down a three-pointer from behind the arc and Shelton capped the run by splitting a pair of free throws to even the score at 24-24 at the 2:59 mark.
The 'Jacks came out firing in the second half, knocking down their first shots with Shelton's finish at the rim giving them a 36-35 lead with 16:49 to play. The lead did not last for long though as the Bobcats answered with an 8-0 over the next two minutes to retake a 43-36 advantage.
Texas State maintained its six-point lead midway through the second half, yet NAU never wavered. Redshirt freshman
Carson Towt, who also registered his first career double-digit scoring game with 11 points on a perfect 5-of-5 afternoon, converted an and-1 before Mahaney tied the game at 53-53 with a three. Shelton then put down a jumper to push the Lumberjacks ahead by a pair with 6:25 remaining.
The final run of the afternoon proved to be the decisive one as Texas State scored on its next three trips down the court, moving in front for the final time, 60-55. A pair of free throws by Shelton cut NAU's deficit to 60-57 with 4:43 left, but the Lumberjacks could not get closer.
NAU will take on Denver on the Pioneers' home floor on Tuesday at 12 p.m. before returning to Flagstaff for the holiday weekend.
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