FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (February 18, 2020) – In their final full week at home in the Walkup Skydome, the Northern Arizona women's basketball team hosts Idaho on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and Eastern Washington on Saturday at 2 p.m. as the regular season slowly winds to a close.
Thursday's game will be NAU's annual Play4Kay game to raise awareness for breast cancer research. Fans can join the cause by wearing pink to the game. The first 150 fans will also receive Throwback Thursday t-shirts on the final Throwback Thursday game of the season.
On Saturday, NAU will also host its first Pride and Inclusion game with the spotlight on the emphasis on diversity and inclusion.
NAU's first game of the week against Idaho will have implications on the upcoming conference tournament. The Vandals enter Thursday's game a half-game ahead of the Lumberjacks for second-place in the Big Sky standings. NAU is 13-11 overall and 10-5 in conference play, right behind Idaho's 10-4 Big Sky mark.
The 'Jacks split their road trip last week, first defeating Northern Colorado, 71-60, before falling to Southern Utah last Saturday by an 82-64 score. In Saturday's loss, junior
Khiarica Rasheed became the 18th Lumberjack to join the 1,000 point club in a 21-point effort – her team-leading sixth 20-point game of the season.
Rasheed ranks first in the conference in scoring at 18.5 points per game in conference games and second overall with 16.1 points per game. In conference play, Rasheed is averaging 7.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from behind the arc.
Redshirt junior
Jacey Bailey has scored in double-figures in 12 straight games, a streak that is only eclipsed by Rasheed's 15-game double-digit scoring streak. Bailey is averaging 14.1 points per game in conference play and shooting 40.2 percent from long distance.
A big part of NAU's recent success was limiting its turnovers. Prior to turning the ball over a season-high tying 24 times on Saturday in the loss at Southern Utah, the 'Jacks had averaged just 9.7 turnovers per game in their previous six games, in which they posted a 5-1 record.
Junior
Lauren Orndoff's last-second game-winning three-pointer propelled NAU to a 71-70 victory against Idaho on Feb. 1. The win snapped a five-game losing streak to the Vandals going back to 2017 and NAU can claim the head-to-head tiebreaker with Idaho with a win on Thursday.
Idaho is 15-8 overall and has won its last two games including a 65-52 victory against Portland State on Monday.
Four Lumberjack starters, led by 16 points each from Rasheed and redshirt sophomore
Nina Radford, helped NAU break away late from Eastern Washington in a 70-62 road victory – their first win in Cheney, Wash. since 2013 – on Feb. 3.
Eastern Washington snapped its 12-game losing streak with a 79-75 victory over Portland State last Saturday. The Eagles are 3-20 overall and 2-12 in conference play.
Both of this week's games will be streamed on Pluto TV Channel 539
online and on the Pluto TV app. Live stats will be available at this
link.
Fans can purchase tickets for the 2019-20 NAU women's basketball season online at
nauathletics.com/tickets or by calling the Lumberjack Ticket Office at 928-523-0639.
About Idaho:
Record: 15-8, 10-4 Big Sky
All-Time Series: UI, 21-10
Last Meeting: NAU, 71-70 (Feb. 1, 2020)
About Eastern Washington:
Record: 3-20, 2-12 Big Sky
All-Time Series: EWU, 41-27
Last Meeting: NAU, 70-62 (Feb. 3, 2020)
