Cone Climbs Single-Season Scoring Chart in NAU’s Loss at Idaho

MOSCOW, Idaho (March 5, 2022) – Sophomore Jalen Cone had one of his finest games of the season in the Northern Arizona men's basketball team's 78-69 loss to Idaho on Saturday. Finishing the afternoon with 35 points and nine rebounds, Cone nearly led the Lumberjacks back on the road in ICCU Arena, but the Vandals defended their home court for a Senior Day victory.
 
With the victory, Idaho (9-21, 6-14 Big Sky) secured the No. 8 seed in the Big Sky Tournament beginning next Wednesday, March 9, in Boise, Idaho. NAU (9-22, 5-15 Big Sky) will await the outcome of the Montana-Sacramento State contest later Saturday night to determine its tournament seed.
 
Cone shot 12-of-23 from the field, 8-of-9 from the free throw line and drilled three treys in recording his third 30-point game of the season. He came up one point shy of his career-high set earlier this season versus Sacramento State, as well as one rebound short of his second double-double.
 
Cone is the first Lumberjack with three 30-point games in a season since Ryan McDade in 2002-03. Cone also climbed to second on the single-season scoring list, jumping past Quinton Upshur, Andre Spencer, Kyle Landry and Gabe Rogers, with his 35 points. Cone, sitting at 583 points entering the conference tournament, only trails Cameron Jones' 640-point season in 2010-11.
 
The first-year NAU guard scored 23 of his 35 points after halftime as the Lumberjacks furiously tried to overcome a 34-33 halftime deficit that grew to 53-44 with 9:50 remaining in the game. After NAU got as close as four with five minutes remaining, Idaho quickly pushed its lead back out to eight, 61-53, a minute later.
 
Cone then scored eight straight Lumberjack points to once again pull NAU within four, 65-61, with 1:48 left. However, Idaho did not allow NAU to rally all the way back by knocking down 11-of-14 at the free throw line the rest of the game.
 
The Lumberjacks also set a new single-season team record for three-pointers in a game on redshirt sophomore Keith Haymon's second three of the game at the 14:10 mark of the first half. NAU finished the game with seven triples, lifting its season total to 269, to surpass the 1999-2000 team's previous record of 263.
 
Idaho shot 46.3 percent for the game to NAU's 38.5 percent clip. Both teams made seven threes, but Idaho made 21-of-26 at the line to just 12-of-17 by NAU.
 
The 'Jacks once again won the rebounding battle for the 14th time in 20 conference games with Cone's nine pacing the team. Redshirt freshman Carson Towt and sophomore Isaiah Lewis each grabbed six as NAU outrebounded Idaho, 37-36, including 12 offensive boards.
 
Two days after setting a new career-high point total at Eastern Washington, Haymon was at it early spurring NAU to an initial 9-2 lead with five of his 14 points. After Idaho opened the game's scoring with a bucket, NAU scored the next nine points and led until Idaho pulled even at 18-18 midway through the first half.
 
Idaho scored the next five points after that to snag its largest lead of the half, 23-18, before NAU moved back in front with an 8-0 run capped by five consecutive points by redshirt junior Nik Mains. The lead change was one of six in the first 20 minutes, the last coming on a corner three by Mikey Dixon that provided the Vandals with a one-point halftime edge.
 
Dixon, who scored a team-high 27 points, opened the second half scoring with a three, but redshirt sophomore Ezekiel Richards and Cone responded with baskets to tie the score at 37-37. That would be the only tie of the second half though as Dixon snapped the tie on the next possession and Idaho led the rest of the way.
 
A Cone three brought the 'Jacks within 44-42 with 14 minutes left before Idaho went on a 9-2 run to take its 53-44 lead. The Lumberjacks slowly chipped away though and a Haymon layup cut the Vandal advantage down to 57-53. But the Lumberjacks would only get as close as four on one more occasion in the final five minutes.
 
Cone and Haymon were the only two Lumberjacks in double-figures with Mains, Towt and Lewis next in line with five points each. Haymon led NAU with four assists.
 
Should Sacramento State fall to Montana later Saturday night, NAU will be the No. 9 seed and will face Idaho once again to open the tournament next Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.
 
A Sacramento State win would push NAU into the No. 11 seed, which would set up a first round matchup versus No. 6 Eastern Washington on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.
 
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