FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (February 26, 2020) – With the start of the conference tournament just a week and a half away, there may be no better road trip to test the Northern Arizona women's basketball team than the one they will embark on this week taking them through Montana on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Montana State on Saturday at 2 p.m.
This week will bring NAU head-to-head with two of the top six teams in the conference. Montana is currently fighting for the fifth and final bye at the conference tournament, while Montana State has already clinched, at worse, a share of the Big Sky regular season title.
With a win and a Southern Utah loss on Thursday, the Lumberjacks will clinch a first round in the Big Sky Tournament beginning in a week and a half in Boise, Idaho. NAU would also maintain its second-place position in the standings. The 'Jacks are 15-11 overall and 12-5 in conference play coming off a pair of home victories versus Idaho, 70-67 in double overtime, and Eastern Washington, 63-58, last week.
Junior
Khiarica Rasheed earned her second Big Sky Player of the Week honor on Tuesday after averaging 23.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in the two victories last week. Rasheed has scored in double-figures in all 17 conference games thus far and is averaging a league-best 19.1 points per game in Big Sky play.
The Lumberjacks also have two other starters scoring in double-figures in conference play with redshirt junior
Jacey Bailey averaging 14.5 points and redshirt sophomore
Nina Radford averaging 11.8 points per game.
Although NAU remains the Big Sky's second-highest scoring team with 75.2 points per game in conference play, the 'Jacks are only averaging 67.0 points per game in their last four on 37.9 percent shooting. However, NAU's defense has held its four opponents to 66.8 points per game on a nearly identical 37.8 percent field goal shooting allowing the 'Jacks to win three of their last four.
NAU will circle back around to its first two conference opponents of the season this week having lost to both teams during the first weekend of conference play at the end of December. Since starting out 0-2 to the Lady Griz and Bobcats, the Lumberjacks have gone 12-3 in the last two months.
The Lumberjacks will be looking to capture their first victory over the Lady Griz in Missoula since March 9, 2007. NAU has dropped 11 straight games on the road in Missoula and 13 of the last 14 overall meetings including a 79-71 loss on Dec. 28. Rasheed and redshirt junior
Caitlin Malvar scored 15 and 11 points respectively in the game and each totaled six boards.
Montana is 14-11 overall and 9-7 in conference play, and are currently tied with Southern Utah for the conference tournament's final bye spot. The Lady Griz have dropped two in a row, most recently to Montana State, 92-78, on Saturday.
Montana State, winners of 11 consecutive, defeated NAU, 72-64, on Dec. 30. The Bobcats have won seven of the last eight overall against the Lumberjacks and eight in a row in Bozeman going back to NAU's last road win on Jan. 28, 2010. Rasheed scored 23 points the last time these two teams met.
The Bobcats are 19-6 overall and 15-1 in the Big Sky and can clinch the outright regular season title with their next win. In addition to taking down the Lady Griz last Saturday, they also romped Portland State, 98-67, last Thursday.
Both games will be streamed on Pluto TV
online and on the Pluto TV app. Thursday's game will be on Channel 537 and Saturday's game will be on Channel 538.
About Montana:
Record: 14-11, 9-7 Big Sky
All-Time Series: UM, 58-12
Last Meeting: UM, 79-71 (Dec. 28, 2019)
About Montana State:
Record: 19-6, 15-1 Big Sky
All-Time Series: MSU, 46-23
Last Meeting: MSU, 72-64 (Dec. 30, 2019)
