FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (December 1, 2022) – Back in Arizona after a week in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks will pick back up their 2022-23 season after a week off with a familiar opponent.
As the Southern Utah Thunderbirds (3-4, 0-0 WAC) are no longer members of the Big Sky Conference, Northern Arizona (3-5, 0-0 Big Sky) begins a 10-year series against their former rivals with a meeting in Rolle Activity Center this Saturday at 2 p.m. MST. The universities agreed to the series, covering six different sports, last October following Southern Utah announcing it would be moving to the WAC this past July. Having taken on three Power Five programs at the Paradise Jam last weekend, and five in the eight games this season, it'll only be Northern Arizona's third game against a fellow mid-major program this season.
With the Thunderbirds joining the Big Sky in 2012, Northern Arizona has faced Southern Utah 20 times over the past decade with the Lumberjacks winning 11 of the meetings. However, Southern Utah has won four of the past five games including both games last season.
In the two meetings last season,
Emily Rodabaugh averaged 16 points per game while 5-of-10 from three-point range and 13-of-22 from the field. Additionally, during
Montana Oltrogge's time at Idaho State the forward put together some of the best games of her career. Finishing with a career high 24 points against the Thunderbirds in the 2020 Big Sky Conference Tournament, Oltrogge hit 6-of-8 from three-point range and 8-of-12 from the field. In last year's regular season finale against Southern Utah, Oltrogge finished 10-of-17 from the field to score 22 points.
Similarly,
Olivia Moran put up a career high 21 points in 2021 against Southern Utah, hitting 8-of-14 from the field and 3-of-5 from outside.
Through eight games this season, Northern Arizona's scoring is balanced across its five regular starters.
Nyah Moran leads the way with 12.8 points, followed by Oltrogge's 12.0 and freshman
Sophie Glancey's 11.5 points across her first eight career games. Rodabaugh enters the weekend at 10.5 points per game and
Regan Schenck averages 9.4 points in addition to her Big Sky leading 6.5 assists per game.
Six different players have led the Lumberjacks in scoring with Oltrogge doing so against Arizona State, Glancey against Arizona, Schenck against UC San Diego,
Nyah Moran against California Baptist,
Audrey Taylor against Park (AZ) and
Olivia Moran against Arkansas.
Nyah Moran and Schenck tied for the team high against Kansas State and Glancey matched her career high to lead the team against Clemson.
Southern Utah enters the meeting in Flagstaff led by Lizzy Williamson's 14.3 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. Williamson, the Thunderbirds' 6-foot-5 center, averaged 9.5 points per game against the Lumberjacks last season, hitting 8-of-18 from the field in addition to 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in the two games.
Finishing third in the Big Sky last season, Southern Utah finished 18-12 overall and 14-6 in conference play. Knocked out in the Big Sky Tournament quarterfinals by the Idaho Vandals last season, the Thunderbirds arrived in the WAC this summer and were voted to finish sixth by the coaches and eighth by the media. Guard Cherita Daugherty was voted to the Preseason All-WAC Second Team while Idaho State transfer and former teammate of Oltrogge, Tomekia Whitman was named to the first team.
Whitman, an All-Big Sky First Team selection last spring, is averaging 8.6 points in five games played this season while shooting 35.3 percent from the field. Whiteman's 4.0 rebounds per game is third on the team while her 1.4 steals lead the Thunderbirds. Daylani Ballena and Daugherty rank second and third on the team respectively with 12.4 and 11.9 points per game.
Saturday's game will be available on ESPN+
here while live stats can be followed
here. For fans in attendance at Rolle, Saturday's game will be holiday themed with ornaments and hot cocoa available.
Make sure to follow the NAU women's basketball team on
Twitter,
Instagram and
Facebook for updates throughout the season.
