MOSCOW, Idaho (January 2, 2021) – Junior
Cameron Shelton scored a career-best 30 points, but the Northern Arizona men's basketball team received huge contributions from redshirt junior
Nik Mains and redshirt sophomore
Keith Haymon to complete the weekend sweep of Idaho on Saturday.
Haymon's three-pointer – his career-best fifth of the game – with 24.9 seconds left in regulation, sent the game into overtime tied at 70-70. In the extra session, Shelton and Mains combined for 11 of NAU's 13 points as the Lumberjacks prevailed with an 83-78 victory over Idaho.
NAU, winners of three of its last four games, are now 3-6 overall and more importantly, 2-1 in league play. Idaho fell to 0-7 overall and 0-4 in conference action.
"We talk about toughness, and
Keith Haymon hits that three-pointer to tie it at 70-70; that's toughness," said head coach
Shane Burcar. "
Nik Mains stepped up and I could go on and on. What I'm really happy about is that there will be teams who are supposed to win on the road and will get beat. It's tough to win on the road in conference and I couldn't be happier to be flying home 2-0."
Shelton is the first Lumberjack to score 30 points in a game since
Carlos Hines dropped 32 on Eastern Washington on Feb. 23, 2019. In what amounts to his sixth consecutive 20-point game, Shelton was 10-of-22 from the field and 9-of-11 at the free throw line while also posting six rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Mains and Haymon provided the 'Jacks with major production off the bench, leading NAU to a massive 35-12 edge from the reserves. Mains posted his second career double-double – and first by a Lumberjack this season – with a career-high tying 16 points to go with 10 rebounds. Haymon, meanwhile, drilled five three-pointers – none bigger than the game-tying shot – to record a career-high 15 points.
Mains and Haymon were a combined 8-of-15 behind the arc, powering NAU to a season-best 10-of-25 performance from long distance. NAU shot 46.8 percent overall and also registered its best free throw percentage of 83.3 percent (15-of-18) this season.
Like Thursday's first of two meetings, the first half was a back-and-forth affair with nine lead changes in the first 20 minutes alone. The Lumberjacks had the three-ball working early, knocking down three triples to get out to an 11-6 lead nine minutes into the game.
A 6-0 Idaho run moved the home team in front, 12-11, and the Vandals led by four, 23-19, with four and a half minutes before the intermission. NAU responded with an 8-0 run capped by three free throws from redshirt junior
Luke Avdalovic and the 'Jacks eventually went into the locker room with a 34-31 lead with Shelton pacing the way with 10 points.
NAU broke open the second half with a 7-0 run, snapping a 40-40 tie, in climbing out to an advantage as large as 58-46 off a Haymon trey with 10 minutes left. Idaho never wavered though in search of its first win of the season, answering with a 14-2 run that tied the game at 60-60 with 4:23 remaining in regulation.
After Idaho's Scott Blakney, who finished with a team-high 23 points, brought the score even again at 64-64 with 2:21 on the clock, the teams traded threes until the end of regulation. Haymon's fourth three of the second half tied the score at 70-70, and the Vandals could not connect on the game-winner before the buzzer.
NAU was clinging to a 79-78 overtime edge before Shelton secured a crucial offensive rebound with 6.2 seconds left in the extra period. Shelton knocked down both free throws after being fouled to make it an 81-78 lead, and the Vandals' game-tying three on the other end was blocked by redshirt junior
Jay Green. Mains added two more freebies to ice the game and provide the final margin.
On the defensive end, NAU tallied 11 steals – its first double-digit steal total since last February, also in Moscow – and forced 15 turnovers in all. The 'Jacks turned those 15 turnovers in 22 points while also outrebounding the Vandals, 33-32, and claiming an 11-4 advantage in second chance points.
The Lumberjacks have now won six consecutive games over the Vandals and will head back to Flagstaff to hopefully host Idaho State next Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Rolle Activity Center.
Idaho State's games versus Weber State this weekend were canceled due to COVID-19 related issues within the Bengals' program.
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