DENVER, Colo. (December 22, 2020) – The breakthrough that the Northern Arizona men's basketball team was searching for finally arrived on Tuesday in the form of a gutsy 68-65 victory over Denver in Hamilton Gymnasium. Behind a team effort led by junior
Cameron Shelton's season-high 27 points, the 'Jacks (1-5) picked up their first win of the season while dealing the Pioneers (1-6) their sixth straight defeat.
"Credit to our guys; they've been outstanding through this stretch," said head coach
Shane Burcar. "They've had great attitudes on the bench and it was a great college basketball game today going back and forth. If we can get to four minutes (left) with a lead, I like our chances with the way Cam Shelton shoots free throws."
With the game hanging in the balance, Shelton was unflappable down the stretch going a perfect 6-for-6 at the charity stripe in the final two minutes. Shelton, whose 27 points tied his second-highest output of his career, was 9-for-9 overall at the line on Tuesday. The nine makes were one shy of his career-high.
"I really think this a chance to prove true toughness," Burcar said. "Everyone can be tough if you're 3-0 or 5-0, but true tough people stick together when you're struggling. I just love our locker room."
As a team, the Lumberjacks – who entered Tuesday's game shooting 65.2 percent at the line – were 19-for-23 at the free throw line. The Lumberjacks made the most of their opportunities, particularly in the second half going 16-for-19 to offset a 38.5 percent field goal clip after halftime.
NAU showed no weariness despite playing less than 24 hours earlier, blitzing Denver from the opening tip. Redshirt junior
Jay Green opened up the scoring on the first possession and redshirt freshman
Jackson Larsen and Shelton followed with baskets during a 7-0 run that quickly forced a Denver timeout 90 seconds into the game.
The Pioneers settled in though and for the final 12 and a half minutes of the first half, neither team led by more than three points. The teams were tied on seven occasions, and it was a Shelton and-1 that capped a first half in which Denver went into halftime with a slim 31-30 advantage.
Back-to-back Denver threes to open the second half pushed the Pioneers' lead out to a game-high seven points at 37-30, but the Lumberjacks recovered following a timeout. Ignited by a corner triple by redshirt junior
Luke Avdalovic, the Lumberjacks went on a 15-5 run over the next five minutes to take the lead for good.
The game's fourth and final lead change came at the 14:29 mark off an offensive putback and-1 by Green to give the 'Jacks a 43-42 edge. Green followed with a second straight offensive rebound and stick back two possessions later as he grabbed offensive rebounds on three straight possessions in all.
Offensive rebounds were crucial for NAU as the Lumberjacks hauled in 11 boards on the offensive glass. Green accounted for four of those offensive rebounds, and helped NAU to a pivotal 11-2 advantage in second chance points in the second half and 18-2 for the game. Overall, NAU outrebounded Denver, 33-27, marking the first game this season in which the Lumberjacks held the rebounding advantage.
Behind Shelton's third consecutive 20-point game, Green recorded 15 points and seven rebounds – both totals setting new career-bests for the UNLV graduate transfer.
"Cam singled out Jay in the locker room," Burcar said. "He's off to a slow start and he'll admit to that, but for Jay to come in and get 15 points and seven rebounds, that's the
Jay Green I know and love. He's been a great leader and it was great to see Jay smile in the locker room."
Denver hung close, getting within a point four times in the last three minutes, and had an opportunity to send the game into overtime. After Shelton converted a pair at the line to give the Lumberjacks a 68-65 lead with 16 seconds remaining, Denver's Sam Hines Jr. missed a potential game-tying three, which was immediately snatched up by redshirt freshman
Carson Towt right before the buzzer.
Avdalovic finished with nine points and five rebounds – one shy of his career-high – and Larsen registered a career-high seven points in just eight minutes of action. Towt's rebound of Denver's final miss was his team-leading eighth of the game, as he set a new career-best total himself.
NAU earned its first win over Denver since 1993 despite shooting just 40.4 percent for the game while Denver shot 52.2 percent.
After playing three games in four days, the Lumberjacks will have a break until returning to competition next Monday, Dec. 28 at No. 1 Gonzaga. Should the Bulldogs get through the weekend without a blemish, it would be just the third time in program history that the Lumberjacks take on the No. 1 team in the country.
Tip-off versus Gonzaga from the McCarthey Athletic Center next Monday is 7 p.m.
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