FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (December 14, 2022) – The Northern Arizona University men's basketball team wraps up non-conference play this Saturday (Dec. 17) at former Big Sky Conference rival, Southern Utah. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. Mountain Standard time in Cedar City, Utah at the America First Event Center and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The Lumberjacks are 4-8 overall and are coming off an 80-75 overtime loss to Utah Valley at home last Saturday. NAU trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half before
Jalen Cone hit the tying jumper to send the game into overtime with 1:27 remaining. However, the Lumberjacks were outscored 12-7 in the overtime period.
The Thunderbirds, who are in their first year in the Western Athletic Conference, sit at 7-4 overall and are on a three-game winning streak heading into Saturday. At home, SUU is 4-1 overall. The Thunderbirds lost to Montana State, but beat Idaho State, West Coast Baptist, and Cal State Fullerton for their win streak.
NAU has a slim 21-20 lead in the all-time series but are looking for its first win over the Thunderbirds since Feb. 15, 2020, which would snap a four-game losing streak to SUU. In Cedar City, the Lumberjacks are 7-12 all-time. NAU's last win in Cedar City came on Jan. 16, 2020. Last season, the Thunderbirds claimed the season meetings by scores of 78-66 in Cedar City and 79-48 in Flagstaff.
Cone is coming off back-to-back 20-plus point performances, scoring 24 in the win over Pacific and 29 against Utah Valley. He has four games with over 20 points and one with 30 so far this year. He ranks seventh in the Big Sky with 15.6 points per game, 10
th in field goal percentage (37.5%), 10
th in free throw percentage (81.6%) and eighth with 2.3 three-pointers per game. He ranks 79
th nationally with 27 made triples.
Xavier Fuller has scored in double figures in six out of the last seven games. Against Pacific, he earned the first double-double of his NAU career with 18 points and 13 rebounds. In the last seven games, he's averaging 11.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the field.
Carson Towt is seventh in the nation and first in the Big Sky with 4.1 offensive rebounds per game, ranking sixth in conference with 8.8 rebounds per game and 16
th nationally with 105 total. He also leads the team with 3.5 assists per game.
Nik Mains has been climbing NAU's all-time three-pointer list, currently sitting in seventh all-time with 158 career threes. He is also 46 points away from 1,000 career points.
As a team, the Lumberjacks average 72.3 points and 36.8 rebounds per game. They rank 81
st in the nation with 8.7 three-pointers per game which is fourth in the conference. The Lumberjacks have made at least seven three pointers in 10 out of 12 and over 10 in five. Northern Arizona also leads the Big Sky with 15.58 assists per game, ranking 70
th nationally.
Four of Southern Utah's seven wins have come again non-Division I opponents. Southern Utah ranks fourth in the country with 89.6 points per game. The Thunderbirds are also 10
th nationally in steals per game (10.9), eighth in scoring margin (20.5), sixth in rebounds per game (42.73), 14
th in turnovers forced per game (18.36) and are shooting 48.1 percent from the field.
The Thunderbirds are led by Tevian Jones who averages 19.2 points per game and 2.6 triples per contest. Maizen Fausett grabs 6.5 rebounds per game.
Following Saturday's game, the Lumberjacks resume action and open Big Sky Conference play on Dec. 29 at Idaho State, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. NAU then takes on Weber State for a New Year's Eve 2 p.m. matchup in Ogden, Utah. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
To stay up to date with Lumberjack men's basketball, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram.
