Lumberjacks Open Big Sky Play with a Pair of Road Games

Northern Arizona Men's Basketball
 

GAME 14	Northern Arizona at Idaho State (Thursday, Dec. 29 | 7 p.m. MST)
	Video | Live Stats | Listen | Game Notes
LOCATION	Pocatello, Idaho | Reed Gym
TV	ESPN+ | Plus.ESPN.com
GAME 15	Northern Arizona at Weber State (Saturday, Dec. 31 | 2 p.m. MST)
	Video | Live Stats | Listen | Game Notes
LOCATION	Ogden, Utah | Dee Events Center
TV	ESPN+ | Plus.ESPN.com

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (December 28, 2022) - After nearly a two-week break from competition for the holidays, the Northern Arizona University men's basketball team opens Big Sky Conference play with a pair of games on the road this week.
 
The Lumberjacks open the conference slate on Thursday, Dec. 28 at Idaho State at 7 p.m. Mountain Standard time. Northern Arizona then closes 2022 with a New Years Eve matinee at Weber State on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m. MST. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and can be heard on the Lumberjack Radio Network.
 
Northern Arizona concluded non-conference play with a 4-9 overall record, falling in overtime to both Utah Valley and Southern Utah in consecutive games. The Bengals sit at 3-10 overall and are on a three-game losing streak, while Weber State is 5-8. The Wildcats host Northern Colorado on Thursday before taking on NAU.
 
Idaho State was picked to finish 10^th by both the coaches and the media in the Big Sky preseason polls, while the Wildcats were picked to finish fourth in both. NAU was picked to finish in a tie for seventh in the coaches poll, and eighth by the media.
 
Despite a pair of losses to end non-conference play, the Lumberjacks found a bright spot in a historical performance from junior Jalen Cone at Southern Utah. Cone scored a career-high 45 points on 18-of-27 from the field, earning his first career Big Sky Conference Player of the Week nod.
 
The historical performance was one-point off of NAU's single-game scoring record of 46 points, set on Jan. 7, 1956 by Frank Turley against Western New Mexico. The junior is the first Lumberjack to score over 40 points in a game since Cory Schwab dropped 43 at Cal Poly on Dec. 2, 2000. There are only two other 40-plus point performances in program history. Cone's output is also the 14^th-most in single-game Big Sky history, becoming the first player since 2019 conference wide to score at least 40 points in a contest. His point total was the most scored in the NCAA that day and remains the highest output scored by a player across all of Division I so far this season along with Northern Kentucky's Marques Warrick. His 18 field goals made is also the most made in Division I this year, also along with Warrick, and his 27 field goal attempts is tied for fourth. Cone's 18 field goals tied a single-game school record that was also set by Turley in 1956, marking a new career-high.
 
Cone currently ranks second in the Big Sky with 17.8 points per game. He is also ninth in field goal percentage (41.7%), 10^th in free throw percentage (79.6%), third in three-point percentage (35.5%) and second with 2.5 made three-pointers per game. Cone has scored in double figures in nine out of 13 contests so far this year, including five performances with 20-or-more points and two with 30-or-more. He has scored at least 20 points in three-straight games. In the past six games, he's scored in double figures five times, including his previous career-high of 38 points against Abilene Christian on Dec. 27. That point total ranks seventh all-time in NAU single-game history.
 
Carson Towt has stuffed the stat sheet all season long, as he leads the Lumberjacks in rebounds per game (8.5), assists per game (3.6) and blocks per game (0.5). His rebounding average ranks fourth in the Big Sky and he is also the conference leader in offensive rebounds with 4.0 per contest. His offensive rebounding average ranks seventh across all of Division I.
 
Xavier Fuller has scored in double figures in seven out of the last eight games, averaging 12.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during that span while shooting 47.1 percent from the field. Against Pacific, he earned a double-double of 13 rebounds and 18 points.
 
As a team, the Lumberjacks lead the Big Sky with 15.85 assists per game and in assist-to-turnover ratio with 1.28. On the rebounding front, they lead the conference with 37.3 boards per game. They're averaging 72.5 points per game while allowing opponents to score 75.6. Northern Arizona makes 8.8 three-pointers per game which ranks 66^th nationally. The Lumberjacks have made at least six three-pointers in 12 out of 13 games, including at least 10 in six games.
 
The Bengals enter Thursday's contest with three-straight losses to St. Thomas (Minn.), Washington, and Grand Canyon. The losses against St. Thomas and Grand Canyon were decided by six points and two points, respectively. As a squad, ISU averages 68.1 points per game and allow opponents to score 69.5. Just like NAU, Idaho State averages 8.8 made triples per game. Brock Mackenzie averages 2.5 made three's per contest. They are also second in the conference with 3.15 blocks per game. Three Bengals average double figures, led by Miguel Tomley with 13.5 points per game and Mackenzie with 13.2.
 
A win on Thursday would snap an eight-game Big Sky Conference opener losing streak for Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks have not won a conference opener since beating Montana in Missoula during the 2013-14 season.
 
Idaho State leads the all-time series with NAU, 61-49. In Pocatello, the Lumberjacks trail 16-37. Last season, the squads split the series meetings in two close contests. NAU beat Idaho State on the road 73-70, but fell in Flagstaff by a score of 76-70. The last seven contests between the opponents have been decided by an average of 3.4 points. The Lumberjacks are 3-7 in the last ten meetings and 2-5 under head coach Shane Burcar against Idaho State.
 
The Wildcats finished non-conference play with a road victory against Utah State before falling to BYU 63-57 in Provo. Weber State has the lowest-scoring offense in the conference at 66.5 points per game, but lock down on defense and only allow opponents to score 68.7 per game which is second. WSU shoots at a 43.5 clip and allow opponents to shoot 46.5 percent. The Wildcats are also in the basement of the conference with 29.9 rebounds per contest. As a squad, they are third in the nation in free throw percentage, making 80.5 percent of their attempts.
 
Dillon Jones already has six double-doubles on the year, and he is fourth nationally with 8.5 defensive boards per game. He leads the Wildcats with 14.4 points per game.
 
Weber State leads the all-time series with Northern Arizona, 86-29. The Lumberjacks are just 8-52 all-time in Ogden and have not beat the Wildcats on the road since Feb. 14, 2015. A win would snap a five-game losing streak to WSU, with the last win coming on Jan. 4, 2020 in Flagstaff. NAU is 1-9 against Weber State in the last 10 meetings and are 1-5 under Burcar. Last season, the Lumberjacks lost 67-44 on the road to open conference action, and 73-49 at home.
 
Northern Arizona returns home next week to open 2023 by hosting Montana and Montana State. The Lumberjacks face the Griz on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 6 p.m. MST before playing Montana State on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. Both games will be played on Findlay Toyota Court in the Walkup Skydome and can be watched on ESPN+.