Towt’s Triple-Double Highlights NAU’s 101-54 Victory Over Embry-Riddle

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 5, 2022) – Powered by redshirt freshman Carson Towt's triple-double, the Northern Arizona men's basketball team emphatically put an end to their four-game losing streak with a 101-54 victory against Embry-Riddle Wednesday night. The Lumberjacks (5-9) shot 60.7 percent from the floor in their first 100-point performance in over two years.
 
"We have a great team here," said head coach Shane Burcar. "No one tried to score 20 points. They took what the defense gave them and made the extra pass. Our team spirit is very healthy. We lost four games in a row coming into tonight and you couldn't tell from our locker room. We are focused on how good we can be today and now we'll move on to Southern Utah tomorrow."
 
The New Year's fireworks were just a few days late as NAU enjoyed a three-point barrage in the Rolle Activity Center in its second game of 2022. The Lumberjacks connected on 17 three-pointers – their highest output since Nov. 15, 2019 versus SAGU American Indian College – at a 58.6 percent clip.
 
The offensive explosion was a byproduct of an unselfish team performance as NAU recorded 26 assists on 37 made field goals. The 26 assists were also the Lumberjacks' highest total since the SAGU victory, which was also NAU's last 100-point game.
 
Individually, Towt garnered the largest headline amongst a team full of them. With 10 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists, Towt notched only the second triple-double in program history joining Stallon Saldivar (13 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) against Eastern Washington on Feb. 9, 2013.
 
"It's a good feat to have and it feels awesome, but it's all about my teammates," Towt said. "Once they knew I was getting close, they went all-in on it. It was cool to see how much they wanted it for me."
 
Towt, whose previous career-high assist total was six, matched that in the first four minutes of the game as he assisted on six of NAU's first seven buckets. The Lumberjacks hit on their first seven attempts from the field in building an 18-8 lead through the first media timeout.
 
Redshirt junior Nik Mains was the main beneficiary of Towt as Mains hit four threes during that opening stretch, all off feeds from Towt. Mains, who finished the night with a career-high 24 points, knocked down his first six shots from deep and was 8-of-10 overall behind the arc to tie for the sixth-highest single-game total in school history.
 
With Mains connecting from deep and redshirt sophomore Ezekiel Richards doing damage inside, NAU built up a 46-18 halftime lead. Richards scored 12 of his career-high 16 points in the first half as well as three of his four blocks. For the game, Richards shot 8-of-13 from the field, while tying a season-high of eight rebounds to go with his four blocks.
 
After a slow start to the game with just six first half points, sophomore Jalen Cone took the baton in the second half as he hit 5-of-6 from three-point range in netting 15 of his 21 points. Cone, who also added five assists, shot 7-of-12 behind the arc in all in notching his sixth 20-point game of the season.
 
NAU never trailed in the game and led by as much as 52 points in the second half. Freshman Wynton Brown, who scored all 11 of his season-high point total after halftime, put the 'Jacks over the century mark with an and-1 in the final minute.
 
The Lumberjacks had five players in double-figures for the first time since Dec. 28, 2019 versus Montana and narrowly missed adding a couple more. Sophomore Ajang Aguek (nine points, six rebounds) and redshirt junior Jay Green (seven points, four rebounds, four assists) added strong performances off the bench.
 
While shooting over 60 percent for the first time since Dec. 20, 2017 at Jacksonville, NAU held Embry-Riddle (2-11) to only a 34.5 percent clip. The Lumberjacks outrebounded the Eagles, 48-28, and dominated all of the specialty categories, notably 17-2 off turnovers, 40-22 in the paint and 14-2 on second chance opportunities.
 
"We want to play free all the time," Burcar said. "I'd like us to play in transition and it's a fun style to play. What we can do, more than anything from this game, is build confidence and it doesn't matter who you play. If you're winning games and playing well, you're building confidence."
 
The Lumberjacks head out to Cedar City, Utah for a matchup with Southern Utah, the defending Big Sky regular season champions and preseason favorite to repeat, on Saturday. Tip-off from the America First Event Center is 5 p.m. MST.
 
To stay up to date with the NAU men's basketball team, follow the Lumberjacks on Twitter and Instagram.