FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (February 8, 2022) – Down to the final eight games of the regular season, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks enter a crucial week in relation to their positioning in the Big Sky Conference standings.
Snapping a brief two-game losing streak overall, Northern Arizona (10-10, 7-5 Big Sky) remained in a tie for fifth place in the conference with a 77-71 victory Saturday against Northern Colorado. Idle on Monday for just the second time in the past five weeks, the Lumberjacks can make up ground in the standings as the Montana Lady Griz (13-6, 7-4) enter Thursday a half game in front for fourth place. Meanwhile, the Montana State Bobcats (14-8, 10-2) extended their winning streak to eight straight games and took sole possession of first place in the Big Sky.
The Lumberjacks get their rematches with the Lady Griz and Bobcats this week in Flagstaff, with both games available on ESPN+, as well as Hulu with the Disney Bundle. Tickets for Thursday's game against Montana can be purchased at NAUAthletics.com/buy while tickets for Saturday's game against Montana State can be bought
here on a two for the price of one special for Valentine's Day.
Thursday's contest will be Northern Arizona's Play 4 Kay Game for breast cancer awareness while Saturday will include a heart glasses giveaway.
MONTANA
It'll be less than 20 days between meetings for the Lumberjacks and Lady Griz, with Montana holding a 66-60 victory on Jan. 22 in Missoula. Splitting the first two completed season series with Sacramento State and Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona will look to avoid a sweep by Montana.
The Lumberjacks have split their past four games in Flagstaff against the Lady Griz, including a 1-1 record last season, after losing 23 of the first 30 home meetings in the series.
Having held the Lumberjacks to just 30.3 percent from the field in January, the Lady Griz enter Thursday with possibly the best defense in the Big Sky having held Southern Utah, formerly tied for first in the conference, to just 64 points in a road victory on Monday. Montana leads the conference in fewest personal fouls per game (13.7) and field-goal percentage defense (35.0) while ranking second in blocks per game (4.7), scoring defense (59.70) and rebounding margin (+6.7). Just two opponents have broken the 70-point mark against the Lady Griz this season.
Meanwhile, the Lumberjacks average 71.4 points per game this season, second in the Big Sky, and have reached 70 points in 10 of 20 games this season. After starting out the week with one of their worst offensive games in the past few years, Northern Arizona bounced back with a 30-point fourth quarter in Greeley.
The Lumberjacks shot just 29.0 percent against the Bears in Flagstaff last Monday, followed by a 40.3 percent game against Sacramento State on Thursday. Breaking the 45.0-percent mark, in which they are 16-2 when reaching the percentage over the past two seasons, Northern Arizona closed out the week at 46.6 percent in its rematch with Northern Colorado.
Leading all scorers with 18 points in the win in Missoula, Montana's Carmen Gfeller finished 12-of-14 at the free-throw line in addition to grabbing 13 rebounds. In her past three games against the Lumberjacks, Gfeller is averaging 20 points on 65.6 percent shooting (21-of-32) from the field.
MONTANA STATE
Allowing 88 points, the second-most an opponent has scored this season, Northern Arizona could not keep pace with Montana State on Jan. 20 in Bozeman.
The Bobcats finished 20-of-24 from the free-throw line against the Lumberjacks, with the visitors called for 23 fouls while drawing just seven. Outscored by 13 at the free-throw line, Northern Arizona also lost 47-29 on the boards and allowed Montana State to score 24 second-chance points.
Five Bobcats reached double-digits in the game, led by Preseason All-Big Sky selection Darian White, who scored 16 points and added seven rebounds. White averaged 13.5 points per game in the two games last season, adding 8.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists as the teams met twice in Bozeman.
Scoring 88 in the win this season, Montana State has scored at least 70 points in 13 straight meetings with Northern Arizona and averaged 80.3 points per game during the stretch. The Lumberjacks are just 5-32 during head coach
Loree Payne's tenure when allowing 80 points or more.
With Montana State making their first trip to Flagstaff since Dec. 30, 2019, fourth of the past five meetings came in Bozeman with the other at the Big Sky Conference Tournament in Boise, Idaho. The Lumberjacks have lost six consecutive meetings with the Bobcats and have won just two of the past 23 meetings dating back to 2010.
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