FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (February 23, 2022) – With the regular season rapidly coming to a close, the Northern Arizona men's basketball team hosts Idaho State and Weber State this weekend in the Walkup Skydome in their final two home games of the season. The Lumberjacks welcome the Bengals to the Dome on Thursday at 6 p.m. prior to the home finale versus the Wildcats on Saturday at 2 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard on the Northern Arizona Healthcare NAU Lumberjack Radio Network.
NAU (9-18 overall) remains tied for eighth in the Big Sky standings with Idaho with a 5-11 conference record following a 79-48 loss to Southern Utah on Monday. The Lumberjacks have dropped three straight and five of their last six, although three of their last five losses have been by three points or fewer.
Thursday's contest in particular could have huge implications come the conference tournament in Boise in two weeks with Idaho State one victory behind NAU in the win column. With a win, the Lumberjacks could further solidify their own seed while also possibly putting themselves in a position to move up the standings pending results throughout the conference. The Lumberjacks would also earn the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Bengals virtue of a season sweep following NAU's 73-70 victory over Idaho State on Dec. 4 in Pocatello.
The Lumberjacks and Bengals could be in line for a close contest on Thursday considering nine of their last 11 meetings have been decided by four points or fewer. NAU will also be aiming to snap a four-year streak in which NAU has won three straight on the road and Idaho State has won five straight in Flagstaff since the Lumberjacks' last home win in the series on Feb. 18, 2016.
Meanwhile, the 'Jacks will look to even the ledger with the Wildcats after Weber State handed NAU a 67-44 loss in Ogden on Dec. 2. Although Weber State has won four straight over NAU and 11 of the last 12, the Lumberjacks did win the most recent meeting between the teams in the Skydome back on Jan. 4, 2020. That 72-64 victory snapped a 10-game home losing streak for NAU versus Weber State.
After posting 11 points, five rebounds and six assists on Monday versus Southern Utah, redshirt freshman
Carson Towt is averaging 10.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in the last seven games. During this stretch, Towt has five double-digit scoring games, three games with at least nine rebounds and three games with at least five assists. Towt, averaging 8.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game overall this season, has nine games this season with five or more assists as he crossed the 100 assist mark on Monday.
Towt, along with sophomore
Jalen Cone, who also eclipsed 100 assists on the season on Monday, are the first pair of teammates to do so since Stallon Saldivar (132) and DeWayne Russell (102) during the 2012-13 season. Towt and Cone are also just the fourth pair of teammates to each record over 100 assists going back to the 1993-94 season.
Cone, averaging a team-leading 18.5 points per game, moved into sole possession of 10th in school history on the single season scoring chart, sitting at 499 points. He ranks 38th in the country in points scored and 57th nationally. Over the last seven games, Cone is averaging 5.0 assists per game with five or more dimes in four tilts.
Despite losing the battle on the glass to Southern Utah earlier this week, NAU has outrebounded its opponents by an average margin of +4.6 over the last seven games. Aiding Towt has been redshirt sophomore
Ezekiel Richards, who registered his third game in the last five with at least seven boards on Monday, redshirt junior
Nik Mains, who is averaging 6.3 rebounds per game in his last four, and redshirt sophomore
Keith Haymon, averaging 5.7 per game in his last three.
Looking at this week's opponents, Idaho State fell to Northern Colorado, 77-70, in Greeley on Monday as the Bengals' record dropped to 6-20 overall and 4-13 in conference. Although the Bengals are 10th in the conference, they have won three of their last seven games including wins over Montana and Northern Colorado. In conference play, the Bengals are averaging 65.8 points and allowing 73.6 points per game.
Tarik Cool leads the Bengals in scoring overall (12.1) and in conference games (13.8). He also paces the team with 65 assists. Jared Rodriguez, coming off a 27-point game against Northern Colorado on Monday, is averaging 9.3 points per game in conference play, while shooting 42.4 percent from behind the arc.
Meanwhile, Weber State is currently second in the league at 19-9 overall and 12-5 in conference. The Wildcats, who play at Portland State on Thursday, have lost four of their last five games including an 83-79 overtime loss to Northern Colorado last Saturday. The Wildcats are one of the top scoring teams in the nation, ranking 46th with 77.2 points per game. In conference play, Weber State has outscored its opponents by a league-best +7.5 and is averaging 78.5 points per game.
Koby McEwen is the second-leading scorer in the Big Sky during conference play, averaging 18.9 points per game which is a slight uptick over his overall season average of 18.0. McEwen, who ranks fourth nationally with 148 free throws made, is one of four Wildcats averaging at least 12.5 points per game, a list that also includes Dillon Jones. Jones averages a double-double of 12.5 points and a Big Sky leading 10.8 rebounds, which ranks eighth nationally. Jones has totaled 15 double-doubles, good for seventh in the country, and is third with 9.3 defensive rebounds per game.
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WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
- Saturday – Saturday's Senior Day game will be a Gold Out. The first 500 fans will receive a free gold t-shirt and all fans are encouraged to wear gold.
