Lumberjack Basketball Closes Strong for 68-64 Victory Over Northern Colorado

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 29, 2021) – The Northern Arizona men's basketball team put the ball in junior Cameron Shelton's hands down the stretch and the Big Sky's leading scorer came through to seal up a 68-64 victory over Northern Colorado Friday night in the Rolle Activity Center.
 
Shelton scored NAU's final eight points over the last five possessions to secure a win to start the second half of the conference schedule. The win ended NAU's homestand on a high note and finally snapped the Lumberjacks' six-game losing streak in Rolle to open the season.
 
"I'm really happy for our guys," said head coach Shane Burcar. "I'm proud of our guys. We talked about being tough and together tonight and it showed tonight. It was a great college basketball game going back and forth. When we took the lead, I liked how we ended the game. Our hard work is showing."
 
After Shelton pulled the Lumberjacks (5-11, 4-6 Big Sky) within 60-58 with an and-1, freshman Carter Mahaney knocked down a transition jumper off a steal by redshirt freshman Carson Towt to tie the game at 60-60 with 3:15 remaining.
 
Shelton followed with consecutive buckets to make it a 64-60 lead with 1:25 to go, before Northern Colorado's Daylen Kountz drilled a three. With NAU clinging to a 66-64 lead, redshirt junior Luke Avdalovic drew a crucial charge to give the Lumberjacks possession with 14.4 seconds remaining.
 
Shelton proceeded to convert both free throws at the other end to make it a two-possession game and the Bears came up empty in the game's final seconds to fall to 8-8 overall and 5-6 in league play.
 
"With 2:15 left, I said Cam was going to have the ball every possession," Burcar said. "My thought is that we're winning the game if we put the ball in Cam Shelton's hands."
 
"My teammates made shots all game," Shelton added. "Northern Colorado had to make a decision to take away my drive or get out to Luke, Keith, Nik and Carson who all had unbelievable games. Them making shots made it way easier to score down the stretch."
 
For the first time this season, NAU had four players score in double-figures with Shelton leading the way with 21 points – 17 coming after halftime. Redshirt sophomore Keith Haymon scored 12, while redshirt junior Nik Mains and Towt added 10 apiece.
 
Facing a Northern Colorado team that ranked 10th nationally in opponent three-point percentage (.275) and had only allowed 3.7 three-pointers per game, NAU's performance behind the arc was critical on Friday. The Lumberjacks shot 6-of-10 from deep with the 60 percent ranking as the worst allowed by the Bears this season.
 
Haymon, Avdalovic and Mains combined to shoot 5-of-7 from three, while Shelton and Towt's work inside was a big reason for NAU's sizeable 34-16 advantage in the paint.
 
NAU withstood an 11-0 Northern Colorado run midway through the first half to only go into halftime trailing by two, 30-28. After a Mains triple gave the 'Jacks a 16-11 lead with less than nine minutes in the first period, the Bears' surge provided them with their largest lead of the game, 22-16.
 
Avdalovic snapped the Northern Colorado run with a three, and NAU eventually tied it at 24-24 on another three by sophomore Ajang Aguek. The Bears' narrow halftime lead was despite the Lumberjacks shooting only 37.9 percent from the deck in the first 20 minutes.
 
NAU's offense ramped up in the second half to the tune of a 66.7 percent clip. Still, the Lumberjacks played from behind for most of the second half with the exception of a 7-0 run that put them up briefly, 39-38, with 14 minutes left. NAU would not lead again until the 2:18 mark following Shelton's baseline jumper at 62-60. From there, the Lumberjacks would not trail again.
 
NAU shot 50.9 percent for the game – its second-highest percentage of the season – and the Lumberjacks also tied a season-high with 14 assists. NAU also was +7 in the turnover column with the Bears coughing it up 14 times. The Bears' 41.9 percent clip was the lowest by a Lumberjack opponent this season.
 
Shelton added team-highs of eight rebounds and five assists – and did not commit a turnover – while Mains and Towt tied career-highs with four steals and two blocks respectively.
 
The Lumberjacks and Bears will both travel to Greeley, Colo. for a Sunday afternoon tip-off in the Bank of Colorado Arena at 12 p.m. to conclude the weekend.
 
To stay up to date with the NAU men's basketball team, follow the Lumberjacks on Twitter and Instagram.