Lumberjacks Trek to California for a Pair of WCC Matchups

Northern Arizona Men's Basketball
 

GAME 10	Northern Arizona at Pepperdine (Saturday, Dec. 3 | 6 p.m.)
	Video | Live Stats | Listen | Game Notes
LOCATION	Firestone Fieldhouse | Malibu, Calif.
TV	WCC Network
GAME 11	Northern Arizona at Pacific (Tuesday, Dec. 6 | 8 p.m.)
	Video | Live Stats | Listen | Game Notes
LOCATION	Alex G. Spanos Center | Stockton, Calif.
TV	WCC Network

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (December 2, 2022) - With only four non-conference games remaining, the Northern Arizona University men's basketball team is making the trek to California for a pair of contests against West Coast Conference teams this week.
 
The Lumberjacks head to Malibu, Calif., for a game against Pepperdine on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. Mountain Standard time. A few days later, the road trip concludes against Pacific on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. MST. Both contests will be streamed on the WCC Network.
 
NAU is 3-6 on the season and are coming off a 92-82 loss to Abilene Christian and a bounce-back 82-51 win over Ottawa this past week at home. After this pair of games, the Lumberjacks return home to host Utah Valley on Dec. 10 at the Rolle Activity Center before closing non-conference action at Southern Utah on Dec. 17.
 
Jalen Cone paces the Lumberjacks with 13.8 points per game. Against Abilene Christian, Cone dropped a career-high 38 points for his fourth career 30-plus point performance. He tied a career-high seven three-pointers, going 11-for-22 from the field, 7-for-13 from behind the arc, and 9-for-10 at the free throw line. So far this season, 20 of Cone's 39 field goals have come from behind the arc, shooting 32.8 percent from a distance. Cone is also second on the team with 2.9 assists per game.
 
Carson Towt has stuffed the stat sheets all season long, ranking in the top-10 in the Big Sky Conference in rebounds (2^nd, 9.7), assists (8^th, 3.7), blocks (9^th, 0.7) and steals (10^th, 1.2) per game.
 
Xavier Fuller has emerged as a steady scorer for the Lumberjacks, scoring in double figures in four-straight games, the longest streak by an NAU player currently. In the past four games, Fuller is averaging 13.0 points per game, shooting 48.8 percent (20-41) from the field and 57.1 percent (8-14) from three-point range to go with 5.3 rebounds per contest. Against No. 4 Texas, Fuller scored 15 points and added six rebounds and two steals while shooting 60 percent from the field.
 
As a team, the Lumberjacks are averaging 72.3 points per contest which is third in the conference, shooting 41.5 percent from the field. The Lumberjacks have made at least six three-pointers in eight out of nine games this season with 10 or more in five. NAU is averaging 9.2 triples per game and are holding opponents to just 31.9 percent behind the arc. The Lumberjacks also lead the Big Sky with 38.1 rebounds per game, pulling down 12.2 offensive boards per contest. They also have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.24.
 
Pepperdine is 4-2 overall but hasn't played since Nov. 23 as its Nov. 30 game against Cal Poly was postponed due to health and safety protocols. The Waves are coming off a 100-53 loss at No. 19 UCLA. Prior to that, they had won three-straight. Four Pepperdine players average double figures, led by Maxwell Lewis with 16.0 points per game, shooting 63.0 percent overall and 52.4 percent from three-point range. Jevon Parker nearly averages a double-double with 11.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest. Just like NAU, Pepperdine likes to shoot from three-point range, ranking 11^th in the nation in three-point percentage (40.9), draining 61 on the year. Overall, Pepperdine averages 79.83 points per game.
 
Saturday will be the 18^th all-time meeting between NAU and Pepperdine dating back to 1951, and the first contest since Dec. 21, 2019. The Waves lead the all-time series, 14-3, and have won two-straight. Nik Mains is the only current Lumberjack to have faced the Waves, as NAU lost 75-73 in Malibu the last time out. In that contest, Mains earned the start and scored two points, grabbed five rebounds, and added an assist. The last NAU victory came on Nov. 28, 2010, by a score of 88-74 in Malibu. On the road, Northern Arizona is just 1-11 against the Waves.
 
Pacific is 3-5 overall this year and have yet to find a victory at home, sitting at 0-4. The Tigers will play at UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 3 before hosting NAU. The Lumberjacks beat UCSB 63-54 in Flagstaff earlier this season on Nov. 18. The Tigers average 78.9 points per game, shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 38.1 from three-point range, making 67 triples and adding 8.4 threes per game. Four players average double figures, led by Jordan Ivy-Curry with 14.3 per game. Tyler Beard paces Pacific's offense with 23 assists this year, adding 11 total steals and averaging 12.5 points per game.
 
Northern Arizona and Pacific have only met twice, once in 1981 and again in 1982, with NAU winning both contests at home and on the road. The Lumberjacks have played every current WCC program, holding a 30-69 (.303) all-time record against the conference.
 
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