NAU Men’s Hoops Makes Furious Push, Falls Short to Idaho State, 76-70

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 9, 2021) – Trailing by 21 at halftime, the Northern Arizona men's basketball team forged a furious second half comeback, but came up short in a 76-70 loss to Idaho State on Saturday in the Rolle Activity Center.
 
The Lumberjacks (3-8, 2-3 Big Sky) got within three at 68-65 on a three-pointer by redshirt sophomore Keith Haymon with 1:59 remaining before the Bengals' Austin Smellie answered with a three on the following possession. After an ensuing empty trip down the court, NAU surrendered the game-clinching trey by Smellie – who led Idaho State with 24 points – to make it a 74-65 score with 26.6 seconds left.
 
Still with junior Cameron Shelton and freshman Wynton Brown combining for 28 second half points – almost matching Idaho State's total of 30 by themselves – the 'Jacks nearly overcame their sizeable halftime deficit.
 
"We wanted to pick away at every media timeout (in the second half)," said head coach Shane Burcar. "At the first media timeout, we won by three and then we got into the game by the 12-minute media. I think we have a good culture on the team and hopefully they took it to heart (at halftime) if we truly have the right people in the locker room who are competitive."
 
Shelton had himself another huge game across the box score with 28 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals. In addition to scoring 20 or more points in eight consecutive games, Shelton has recorded at least six rebounds and six assists in each of the last four.
 
Off the bench, Brown had his best game of his debut season recording 15 points and six rebounds – five coming on the offensive glass. He shot 5-of-8 from the field and 5-for-7 at the line and was a big reason for NAU's 31-22 rebounding advantage on the afternoon. NAU's +9 margin on the glass is its best this season.
 
Idaho State (6-5, 3-1 Big Sky) set the tone for the first half, scoring the game's first six points. NAU trailed just 17-12 midway through the first half following a three by redshirt junior Nik Mains, but Idaho State made seven of its next eight shots, including four triples, to build a 37-17 lead with 4:49 left in opening period.
 
The Bengals shot 69.2 percent in the first half and drained 6-of-9 behind the arc on their way to a 46-25 halftime lead, but the Lumberjacks were far from finished.
 
It was a tale of two halves as NAU shot 62.1 percent after halftime to fuel its second half surge. The Lumberjacks' first move came courtesy of a 9-0 run that trimmed the Bengal lead to 49-36 with 14:38 remaining. Five minutes later, Shelton cut the deficit to single digits, 58-50, following a vicious dunk that resulted in an and-1.
 
With Idaho State still leading 68-59 with 4:41 to play, NAU forced four consecutive scoreless possessions and Haymon brought the 'Jacks within three, 68-65, with his triple. NAU would not get any closer though as Idaho State completed the weekend sweep and posted its third straight victory in the process.
 
Both teams shot well from the field with Idaho State closing at 53.8 percent and NAU at 50 percent. However, the Bengals made 10-of-22 behind the arc compared to just six threes by the Lumberjacks while also logging a +6 margin in turnovers.
 
Mains hit three triples for the third straight game, and also logged his third straight scoring game with 11 points. Redshirt freshman Carson Towt tied Shelton for game-high honors with seven rebounds and also chipped in six points.
 
A quarter of the way through Big Sky play, NAU next heads out for a pair of games at Montana next Thursday and Saturday. The Lumberjacks and Grizzlies begin their weekend series on Thursday in Missoula, Mont. at 5 p.m.
 
To stay up to date with the NAU men's basketball team, follow the Lumberjacks on Twitter and Instagram.