CEDAR CITY, Utah (February 15, 2020) – Junior
Khiarica Rasheed scored a team-high 21 points and became the 18th Lumberjack in the 1,000 point club, but her milestone afternoon was spoiled by Southern Utah in an 82-64 loss on Saturday. The Northern Arizona women's basketball team will head home with a 13-11 overall record and 10-5 mark in conference play.
Rasheed was 6-for-10 from the field and made a career-high nine free throws in her 21-point outing. Of the now 18 members of the 1,000 point club, Rasheed is just the seventh Lumberjack to reach the milestone in three years.
However, the Lumberjacks could not overcome a season-high tying 24 turnovers in suffering just their second Big Sky road loss of the season. Southern Utah took full advantage of NAU's miscues, outscoring NAU by 14 points (27-13) off of turnovers.
The Thunderbirds also had a significant 11-2 scoring advantage in the paint behind 11 offensive rebounds. Southern Utah outrebounded NAU, 32-23, for the game.
Behind Rasheed's 21 points, redshirt junior
Jacey Bailey was the only other Lumberjack in double-figures with 17 points. Bailey shot 7-for-13 from the floor and hit 3-of-5 behind the arc. Both Rasheed and Bailey pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
Saturday's tilt started promising for the 'Jacks as four different players scored on NAU's first four shot attempts, spurring the Lumberjacks to an early 9-4 lead. Despite the initial Lumberjack advantage, the opening quarter was a closely contested one with six ties, including the quarter-ending 20-20 score as both teams started strong offensively. NAU shot 53.3 percent in the first quarter while Southern Utah shot 44.4 percent.
As efficient as the Lumberjacks were offensively in the first quarter, they started out the second period by missing their first five attempts from the field. Coinciding with NAU's struggles, Southern Utah posted a 10-2 run in the first four and a half minutes of the quarter to take its largest lead of the half, 30-22.
Back-to-back baskets by redshirt sophomore
Nina Radford, which snapped the lengthy Lumberjack scoring drought, cut the Thunderbirds' lead to 30-27 midway through the second quarter. Southern Utah wound up taking a 37-32 halftime lead after NAU made just 4-of-12 from the field.
After an 11-2 half-opening run by the home pushed Southern Utah's lead out to game-high 14 points at 48-34, Rasheed and Bailey combined for eight straight NAU points to bring the 'Jacks back within 48-42 with 5:27 left in the third quarter. The momentum quickly shifted yet again though with the Thunderbirds immediately getting those eight points back during an 8-0 run, propelling Southern Utah to a 59-47 lead into the final period.
NAU made a living at the free throw line in the final 10 minutes, making 13-of-14 at the stripe, but the Lumberjacks were unable to get closer than 10 points. The 'Jacks finished the game 17-of-20 at the line with Rasheed and junior
Lauren Orndoff combining for 15 of the team's 17 free throws.
The Lumberjacks shot 42.9 percent for the game while the Thunderbirds shot 45.3 percent.
Southern Utah pulled away in the second half by shooting 51.7 percent from the deck after halftime and going plus-nine in the points off turnover column off 16 NAU turnovers.
NAU will return home to the Walkup Skydome for a pair of games next week starting with Idaho on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The Lumberjacks will also host Eastern Washington next Saturday at 2 p.m.
Thursday's game versus Idaho will be NAU's Play 4 Kay game. Saturday's game versus Eastern Washington will be NAU's Pride and Inclusion game.
