MISSOULA, Mont. (February 27, 2020) – Montana scored 41 points in the final 15 minutes of the game, erasing a seven-point Northern Arizona women's basketball lead midway through the third quarter and preventing the Lumberjacks from picking up their first win in Dahlberg Arena in 13 years. The Lady Griz posted an eventual 70-57 victory over the 'Jacks, dropping NAU's record to 15-12 overall and 12-6 in conference play.
"We didn't play well overall and we can't have only two players in double-digit scoring and shoot that terribly from three," said head coach
Loree Payne. "We have to step up and knock down shots and be ready to go. Tonight we weren't very good as a team and we need to be much, much better moving forward."
NAU's offensive woes of late continued on Thursday with the 'Jacks only shooting 35.4 percent from the floor, including 32.7 percent after the first quarter. Montana shot 41.3 percent and the Lady Griz's bench outscored the Lumberjacks' reserves by a 33-8 margin.
NAU was also outrebounded, 43-40, and the 'Jacks were swatted 11 times by the Lady Griz – marking a season-high in blocks by an opponent.
Junior
Khiarica Rasheed led all players with 17 points, all coming in the second half, while redshirt sophomore
Nina Radford chipped in 13. Redshirt junior
Jacey Bailey recorded eight points and posted a game-high 10 boards.
Radford knocked down the first two buckets of the game and Bailey followed with a three as the Lumberjacks jumped out to a 7-0 lead through the first four and a half minutes. Montana did not convert on its first field goal of the game until the 4:07 mark of the opening quarter after which NAU led 12-2 on another Bailey three-pointer.
The Lumberjacks' hot start – 18-8 lead after the first quarter – fizzled though as the Lady Griz eventually fought back to within 28-27 heading into halftime.
After Montana scored the initial field goal of the second half to take a 29-28 advantage – its first lead of the game – NAU answered with four consecutive buckets by Radford, junior
Lauren Orndoff, Rasheed and sophomore
Morgan Gary. Gary's layup gave NAU a 36-29 edge, only for the 'Jacks to turn the ball over on four consecutive possessions.
NAU led just once more after that at 38-37 following two Orndoff free throws, as Montana closed the period on a 17-6 run. The Lady Griz took a 46-42 lead into the fourth quarter and led throughout the entirety of the final 10 minutes.
The 'Jacks got as close as 60-55 with just under four minutes to play following a layup by Rasheed, but the Lady Griz immediately responded with a 6-0 run.
After opening the contest by making 7-of-16 field goals in the first quarter, NAU was just 16-for-49 the rest of the way. The Lumberjacks also missed their final 13 three-point attempts.
The loss drops NAU back into third place heading into its game at Montana State on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Bobcats clinched the outright regular season title on Thursday and the first-place Bobcats have won 12 consecutive games.
