Portland State Outguns NAU Men’s Basketball in High Scoring Contest

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 29, 2022) – The Northern Arizona men's basketball team could not keep pace with Portland State on Saturday as the Vikings shot their way to a 97-76 victory in the Walkup Skydome. The Vikings (5-13, 3-7 Big Sky) set a season-high offensive output against a Division I opponent, while the 97 points were the most allowed by the Lumberjacks (7-12, 3-5 Big Sky) this season.
 
"It's a disappointing day to lose when you get beat the way we just did," said head coach Shane Burcar. "We were chasing all day long. When you're not guarding anyone, it's a little fool's gold on the offensive end. Give credit to Portland State. They hit a lot of threes and some big ones at important times when we felt like we were coming back into the game."
 
Portland State's 97 points were not only the most by an opponent this season, but also the most allowed by NAU since the Lumberjacks allowed 103 in a 103-94 loss, coincidentally to the Vikings, on Feb. 14, 2019.
 
The Vikings, who came into the game averaging 69.2 points on 40.9 percent shooting and a 26.3 percent three-point clip, shot 56.1 percent (37-of-66) from the deck and 51.9 percent (14-of-27) from deep.
 
The Lumberjacks' offense was far from the problem as they shot 49.1 percent (27-of-55) overall and 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from three-point range. However, NAU made just 10-of-29 shots in the second half (34.5 percent) as a six-point halftime deficit wound up a 21-point loss.
 
Aside from Portland State's hot offensive showing, NAU struggled with turnovers against the Vikings' pressure, committing 19 miscues that directly led to 29 Viking points. It particularly had an effect in the first half when Portland State attempted 11 more shots from the field than NAU.
 
The Lumberjacks found themselves in an immediate double-digit deficit hole early as Portland State used a 9-0 run to snag an 18-8 advantage just six and a half minutes into the game. The double-digit deficit was not the first NAU faced, and the Lumberjacks answered multiple times. Redshirt sophomore Ezekiel Richards and freshman Wynton Brown contributed energy dunks during a 7-0 NAU run that cut the Portland State deficit to 26-23 with nine minutes left in the first half.
 
Two minutes later, redshirt sophomore Keith Haymon drilled a three to put NAU in front, 32-31, as the Lumberjacks climbed all the way back. However, after a three by sophomore Jalen Cone tied the score at 44-44, Portland State closed the half on an 8-2 run in the final 2:27 to take a 52-46 lead into the locker room.
 
Despite being saddled with three first half fouls, Cone scored 11 of his team-high 19 points before halftime, while redshirt junior Jay Green ignited NAU with eight points off the bench. Green finished the game with a season-high 10 points as part of a NAU season-high 31 point performance from its reserves.
 
The Vikings' lead grew to 64-49 five minutes into the second half, but the Lumberjacks refused to let them pull away as consecutive threes by Cone sliced the deficit to 68-61 at the 12:09 mark, with redshirt junior Nik Mains also hitting a pair of triples during the 12-4 run. Yet, Portland State scored the next six points to reopen up a 13-point advantage.
 
As the game swung back in the Vikings' favor, the 'Jacks made a move again though as freshman Jayden Jackson put NAU within eight, 76-68, with 9:17 to play. This time, however, Portland State landed the haymaker with a 19-4 run over the next six minutes to open up a game-high 23-point margin.
 
"Our guys are never going to quit," Burcar said. "The execution was not there, but I would not say that there is one guy on this team who is not preparing and playing as hard as they can. I do like our fight and when we get through the mythical wall, teams will be chasing us. I can look at our bench and I know there are guys like Jayden (Jackson), Wynton (Brown) and Jay (Green) who can come in and contribute."
 
NAU outrebounded Portland State, 34-29, with redshirt freshman Carson Towt recording a team-high eight rebounds. Mains, who shot 4-of-7 from the field for 14 points, grabbed five boards.
 
After spending all of 2022 at home so far – seven games total – the Lumberjacks will head out on the road for a Monday afternoon, 5 p.m. tip-off at Southern Utah to begin a six of seven-game stretch away from Flagstaff.
 
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