FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (August 5, 2022) – Set to face some of the top programs in the West, the Northern Arizona women's basketball team will spend its non-conference schedule traveling to California and Nevada, as well as through the state of Arizona, in addition to its trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands before getting Big Sky Conference play underway.
Four of Northern Arizona's 13 non-conference opponents reached the NCAA Tournament in 2022, with one other playing in the WNIT and seven total Division I opponents finishing above .500. The Lumberjacks will host three games in Flagstaff during non-conference play in addition to their nine Big Sky Conference home games, down from last year's 10 following Southern Utah's departure to the WAC.
The Lumberjacks will open the season with three consecutive games in Arizona in the span of seven days, starting with the season opener in Tempe against the Arizona State Sun Devils set for Monday, Nov. 7. A trip down to Tucson for another meeting with the Arizona Wildcats follows on Thursday, Nov. 10 before Northern Arizona makes its home debut against UCSD on Sunday, Nov. 13.
Arizona State finished the 2021-22 season 12-14 overall and 4-9 in the Pac-12, though the Sun Devils enter the 2022-23 season with first-year head coach Natasha Adair. Arizona returned to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed last year, finishing 21-8 overall and 10-6 in the Pac-12. Adia Barnes' program reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating UNLV in the first round.
UCSD enters its third season in D-I, having gone 6-9 during a COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 debut in the Big West Conference. The Tritons finished 13-14 last season with a 10-8 record in conference play,
A quick trip to California for a return game against the California Baptist Lancers is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 16 with Northern Arizona's final tipoff ahead of its trip to the Virgin Islands set for Sunday, Nov. 20 against the Park University Gilbert Buccaneers.
The Lancers traveled to Flagstaff last season, handing the Lumberjacks an 89-73 loss, and finished 23-9, 13-5 in the WAC. Falling in the semifinals of their conference tournament, the Lancers accepted a bid to the WNIT where they fell to the San Diego Toreros 76-67. Park University Gilbert, a member of the NAIA and the Cal Pac Conference, finished 16-10 last season and fell in the Cal Pac semifinals.
From there, Northern Arizona heads across the country to the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas for the Paradise Jam.
Scheduled for three games in the Reef Tournament of the invitational at the end of November, the Lumberjacks will take on a pair of programs for the first time in school history with a third being just the third-ever meeting for the school.
The Lumberjacks will open with Arkansas on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24 with the stretch of three games in three days continuing Friday, Nov. 25 with Kansas State and concluding against Clemson on Saturday, Nov. 26. The meetings with Arkansas and Clemson will be the first ever for the Lumberjacks while Kansas State and Northern Arizona will face off for the first time since 2001 after playing for the first time in 1988.
The Razorbacks, Wildcats and Tigers present a trio of games against Power-5 Conferences with two schools coming off NCAA Tournament appearances.
Last season, Arkansas went 18-14 overall and 7-9 in the SEC. Seeded eighth in their conference tournament, the Razorbacks fell in the quarterfinals to South Carolina, the No. 1 seed in the SEC as well as the nation, and eventual national champion. Earning a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Arkansas fell to No. 7-seed Utah in the first round.
Finishing the 2021-22 season 20-13 overall and 9-9 in the Big 12, Kansas State also reached the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed and defeated the No. 8-seeded Washington State Cougars 50-40 in the first round before falling to No. 1 seed NC State 89-57 in the second round. Lastly, Clemson finished last season 10-21 overall with a 3-15 record in the ACC. Seeded No. 13 in their conference tournament, the Tigers beat Syracuse 88-69 before their season came to an end against Virginia Tech in the second round.
With the opening of Big Sky Conference play shifted back to the end of December, Northern Arizona hosts Southern Utah in its final home non-conference game in Flagstaff on Saturday, Dec. 3. Scheduled as part of Southern Utah and Northern Arizona's Grand Canyon Challenge, the Thunderbirds and Lumberjacks will meet as non-conference opponents over the next 10 years. In its final year in the Big Sky, Southern Utah finished 18-12 overall and 14-6 in the Big Sky before falling in the tournament quarterfinals.
Northern Arizona wraps up its non-conference schedule with two trips to California and a quick stop in Nevada before returning to Flagstaff before the break for the holidays.
Facing the Fresno State Bulldogs on Thursday, Dec. 8 and the Cal Poly Mustangs on Saturday Dec. 10, Northern Arizona returns to California for a game at UC Davis on Monday, Dec. 19 and concludes non-conference play in Las Vegas against UNLV on Wednesday, Dec. 21.
Among the group, UNLV produced the strongest season with a 26-7 record, including a 15-3 run through the Mountain West as well as a conference tournament title that sent the Lady Rebels to the NCAA Tournament against Arizona. Back in November 2021, the Lumberjacks defeated the Lady Rebels 84-62 in Flagstaff, winning their second consecutive meeting between the programs.
After a week break from competition, Northern Arizona hosts Idaho State and Weber State on Dec. 29 and Dec. 31 to begin conference competition. From there, the Lumberjacks work through their first half of Big Sky play with a usual Thursday and Saturday schedule. Heading to Montana on Jan. 5 and Montana State on Jan. 7, Northern Arizona returns home to host Portland State (Jan. 12) and Sacramento State (Jan. 14).
Traveling north to Idaho (Jan. 19) and Eastern Washington (Jan. 21), Northern Arizona finishes the first half of the Big Sky schedule in Greeley, Colo. against the Northern Colorado Bears (Jan. 28).
After hosting Montana State and Montana on Feb. 2 and Feb. 4, Northern Arizona plays its first Monday game of conference play in Pocatello, Idaho against Idaho State on Feb. 6. The week on the road continues in Sacramento against the Hornets on Feb. 9 and in Portland on Feb. 11, with three straight home games to follow against Eastern Washington (Feb. 16), Idaho (Feb. 18) and Northern Colorado (Nov. 25).
The Lumberjacks travel to Ogden, Utah for their last game of the regular season on Feb. 27 before heading to Boise, Idaho for the Big Sky Conference tournament and its newly designed schedules. Beginning on Saturday, March 4 the Big Sky Tournament runs through Wednesday, March 8.
