FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 5, 2021) – For the first time in nearly three weeks, the Northern Arizona men's basketball team is back in the Rolle Activity Center with their weekend series with Idaho State beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. The second game of the week will be Saturday at 12 p.m. with both games streamed on Pluto TV Channel 1058 and on the Lumberjack Radio Network.
"We're 2-1 in conference with one loss against the preseason No. 1 (Eastern Washington) and for us to be different, we have to own our home gym," said head coach
Shane Burcar. "A bad year for us at home in conference has to be 8-2. Going into this week versus Idaho State, these are games we have to win. When we completely change this program, no one will want to come to Flagstaff because we're tough."
The Lumberjacks, winners of three of their last four games, enter the weekend with momentum after sweeping Idaho last week. NAU improved to 3-6 overall and 2-1 in conference play following victories by the score of 78-65 last Thursday and 83-78 in overtime on Saturday. With a win on Thursday in the first of two games versus the Bengals this week, NAU would secure its first 3-1 Big Sky start in seven years. The 2013-14 team opened conference play with a 5-1 mark.
Junior
Cameron Shelton is the reigning Big Sky Player of the Week after averaging 24.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists in three games last week. His week ended with a 30-point performance in the overtime win against Idaho, lifting his season average to a Big Sky leading 21.3 points per game.
Shelton ranks 24th in the country in scoring and is sixth in both free throws made (60) and free throws attempted (78) as he closes in on 900 career points, entering the weekend at 874. He is also averaging team-bests of 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
NAU's offense continues to climb out of its early season slump, particularly behind the three-point arc. In the two victories last weekend, the 'Jacks shot a combined 19-for-46 (41.3 percent) from long distance. Redshirt junior
Luke Avdalovic drained four threes and scored 17 points in the first game before redshirt sophomore
Keith Haymon scored 15 points on a career-high five triples and redshirt junior
Nik Mains knocked down three threes in a 16-point effort in the second win.
The three Lumberjacks combined to shoot 17-for-34 (50 percent) from three-point range versus Idaho. In particular, Haymon was red-hot, knocking down 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) in the two games.
As a whole, the Lumberjacks are averaging 70.4 points per game in their last five games compared to an average of 54.8 points through their first four contests of the 2020-21 season. Over the last five games, NAU is shooting 44.5 percent overall and 35.1 percent behind the arc.
Idaho State will resume play after pausing activities due to a COVID-19 related incident within its program. The Bengals are 4-5 overall and 1-1 in conference play, earning a split on the road at Northern Colorado before their shutdown. After dropping the first game, 69-64, on Dec. 22, Idaho State left Greeley with a 71-56 victory the next day. Brayden Parker, who garnered Big Sky Player of the Week honors following the Northern Colorado series, and Tarik Cool are tied for the team-lead at 12.8 points per game. Robert Ford III is third on the team with 12.6 points per game and leads the Bengals with both 7.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
NAU and Idaho State have played each other closely in recent years with seven of the last eight meetings decided by four points or less. Idaho State has won six of those eight games, including last season's matchup in the Big Sky tournament, 64-62. The Bengals lead the all-time series, 58-48, although the 'Jacks own a 31-19 advantage at home in Flagstaff.
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