FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 19, 2022) – Set to return to the court for three games in five days, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks head north to Montana and Washington while still ranking near the top of the Big Sky Conference.
Beginning in Bozeman, Montana, the Lumberjacks will face the Montana State Bobcats on Thursday for a 7 p.m. tipoff before making the regularly scheduled trip to Missoula to face the Montana Lady Griz on Saturday at 2 p.m.
From there, Northern Arizona heads west to Cheney, Wash. for its first rescheduled game against the Eastern Washington Eagles at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 24.
All three games will be available on ESPN+, as well as Hulu with the Disney Bundle.
Regan Schenck leads the Big Sky Conference with 6.2 assists per game and 80 total this season while
Nina Radford remains the conference's top three-point shooter at 48.1 percent this season. Both players rank among the nation's top 10, with Schenck's assist average eighth and Radford's percentage second-best in the NCAA.
MONTANA STATE
Sitting at 8-8 overall and 3-2 in the Big Sky, the Bobcats returned from an extended layoff with a 79-69 victory at home over the Idaho Vandals on Monday to snap a three-game losing streak.
It'll be the fourth time Northern Arizona faces Montana State in Bozeman across the past five meetings between the programs. Both meetings with the Bobcats during the 2020-21 season came on the road, while the teams also faced off in the Big Sky Conference Tournament semifinals in Boise, Idaho during the 2019-20 season.
Adding in the annually scheduled road meeting falling in February 2020, with the Lumberjacks last hosting the Bobcats in December 2019.
Last season, Montana State won both meetings to extend its win streak over Northern Arizona to five consecutive games. Darian White, an All-Big Sky Preseason pick, averaged 13.5 points per game against the Lumberjacks, adding 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds last year. Lexi Deden averaged 15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in the two games, scoring a career-high 22 in the second of two meetings as she made her career debut against the Lumberjacks.
White has continued to look like one of the best players in the Big Sky Conference, averaging 16.5 points per game to rank second in addition to 4.3 assists (5th) and 2.8 steals (2nd). White has proven to be one of the best Big Sky players at getting to the free-throw line this year, shooting 63-of-82 from the free-throw line, the 2nd most makes and most attempts.
Kola Bad Bear, now in her third season with Montana State, is the only other Bobcat averaging in double-digits. Sitting at 10.1 points per game, Bad Bear also averages 5.4 rebounds and hits 46.0 percent from the field.
MONTANA
Dropping two of their past three games in Big Sky play, Montana enters the week at 10-4 and 3-2 in the Big Sky. Returning from its own layoff due to COVID-19 postponements, the Lady Griz will return from a two-week layoff against Portland State on Thursday before hosting the Lumberjacks on Saturday.
Carmen Gfeller, an All-Big Sky Third Teamer last season, leads the team with 14.4 points per game while shooting 56.8 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range. In two meetings in Flagstaff last season, Gfeller averaged 21.0 points per game while hitting 18-of-23 from the field.
Both Abby Anderson and Sophia Stiles average 9.9 points this season, similar to their totals from last season against Northern Arizona. Anderson finished at 16.0 points per game, only trailing Gfeller in last year's games, while Stiles finished at 10.5 points per game. The two also lead the team in rebounding, with Anderson at 7.0 rebounds and Stiles and 6.7 rebounds, as the team ranks second in the Big Sky at 42.4 per game. Sammy Fatkin returned to the roster this season and is second on the team with 12.3 points per game, shooting 40.3 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from outside.
The Lady Griz lead the Big Sky with just 58.3 points allowed per game, with just one team scoring more than 70 in a game this season. Northern Arizona's offense ranks second in the Big Sky at 73.7 points per game this season and has been held under 60 just twice this year.
EASTERN WASHINGTON
Coming off a pair of victories against Weber State and Portland State, the Eastern Washington Eagles will face Sacramento State and Northern Colorado on the road before hosting a rescheduled game against Northern Arizona on Monday.
Now 4-11 overall and 2-4 in the Big Sky in head coach Joddie Gleason's first season, Eastern Washington is led by a trio of newcomers including a sophomore and a pair of freshmen. Jaydia Martin, a true freshman from Vancouver, Wash., leads the team with 16.1 points per game and 5.0 rebounds. Shooting more than 48 percent of her attempts from three-point range, Martin has hit 38-of-124 from outside. Martin has reached double-digits in every game this season, with a career-best 23 points in her debut against San Jose State.
Jacinta Buckley, a transfer from UNLV, trails only Martin with 11.3 points on 43.2 percent shooting from the field and 36.1 from three-point range. Buckley, who played 17 minutes against the Lumberjacks while with the Lady Rebels last season, ranked fourth in the Big Sky with 8.3 rebounds per game.
Freshman Jaleesa Lawrence, a freshman from Meridian, Idaho, leads the team at 43.6 percent from outside. Averaging 8.4 points this season with 4.1 rebounds, Lawrence finished with a career-high 22 points in December against Boise State.
Eastern Washington ranks 10th in the Big Sky at 35.7 percent shooting from the field, but also holds opponents to 36.6 percent. The Eagles have broken 70 points on just two occasions this season, with both coming against non-Division I opponents.
In their four victories this season, the Eagles have held opponents to 61, 52, 44 and 38 points, but have dropped 11 of 12 games when allowing 60 or more points.
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