FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 26, 2021) – The Northern Arizona men's basketball team concludes their three-game homestand on Thursday versus Northern Colorado at 6 p.m. with the game from the Rolle Activity Center streaming on Pluto TV Channel 1058 and the Lumberjack Radio Network. Following Thursday's game, both teams will make their way to Greeley, Colo. for the week's second contest on Saturday in Bank of Colorado Arena at 12 p.m. on Pluto TV Channel 1059.
The Lumberjacks (4-11 overall, 3-6 Big Sky) head into the second half of the conference season on a two-game losing streak after being swept by first-place Montana State last week at home. With nine games behind them, the Lumberjacks have just 10 games remaining before heading to Boise, Idaho for the 2021 Big Sky Championships.
"These next 50+ days are really important for us as a program," said head coach
Shane Burcar. "I say this positively – our days are numbered as a team. Our days are numbered to prepare for the Big Sky Tournament. Right now, our days are numbered to play Northern Colorado, so every day is so important for our growth. Our record isn't the greatest right now, but we're not going to be affected by that. We're building a culture here for success right now and future success."
Despite the two losses last week, NAU had its best defensive weekend, allowing the Bobcats to score a two-game average of 60 points – way below their season average of 77.9 entering the series. However, NAU struggled to score the ball averaging just 52 points between the two games. The Lumberjacks' struggles at home also continued last week as NAU has dropped all six games in the Rolle Activity Center this season.
Over the last two weekends though, the Lumberjacks have shown that a breakthrough may be close, especially when looking at their conference-only statistics. Through nine league games, NAU has been outscored by just an average of 3.5 points per game.
Junior
Cameron Shelton logged a pair of 20-point games last weekend, and reached the 1,000 point career milestone in last Saturday's game. He enters Thursday's game ranked 10th in the country with a Big Sky leading 21.6 points per game and is eighth nationally in total points scored (324). In conference play, Shelton has been even better averaging 23.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
The Lumberjacks got back to full strength last week with the return of redshirt junior
Luke Avdalovic, who returned to the lineup last Thursday after missing three games with an injury. Avdalovic, who ranks ninth all-time with 146 three-pointers made, is second on the team in scoring at 9.3 points while shooting 39.6 percent from deep. Redshirt junior
Nik Mains saw his double-digit scoring streak come to an end, but he is still third on the team in scoring with 7.7 points per game.
Northern Colorado has played a full Big Sky slate midway through the league schedule and sits at an even 5-5 in conference play. After a split of a home weekend with Eastern Washington, including a 78-76 win, the Bears are 8-7 overall. Bodie Hume, a preseason all-conference selection, is the Bears' leading scorer and rebounder at 15.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in addition holding team-highs in steals (20) and blocks (19). Matt Johnson II is Northern Colorado's second-leading scorer at 13.1 points per game while leading the team in assists at 2.5 per game. Johnson is shooting 50 percent overall and 46.3 percent behind the arc.
Northern Colorado, one of the nation's top teams at defending the three-point arc, leads the all-time series, 20-13, with both teams splitting the season series last season. Both teams won on the road with NAU claiming a 64-58 victory in Greeley and Northern Colorado winning 84-54 in Flagstaff. In NAU's win, the Lumberjacks held the Bears to just four points in the final six minutes of the game to rally back from a 10-point deficit.
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