FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 31, 2023) – Reaching the halfway point of the Big Sky Conference schedule with their overtime victory on Saturday in Greeley, Colo., the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks return to Findlay Toyota Court for a pair of crucial games.
Set to face the Montana State Bobcats (15-7, 8-2 Big Sky) and the Montana Lady Griz (10-11, 6-4 Big Sky), Northern Arizona (12-10, 6-3 Big Sky) will look to complete the season sweep after beating both teams on the road in early January. The Lumberjacks held on against the Lady Griz for a 76-74 victory in Missoula as Montana's potential game-winning three missed as time expired and followed up with an 85-80 win in Bozeman over the Bobcats, as a 7-0 fourth-quarter turning a two-point deficit into a five-point lead.
The Bobcats have won six straight since falling to the Lumberjacks, their first loss to Northern Arizona since the 2018-19 season and the first home loss in the series since 2010. Beating Sacramento State last Saturday, Montana State took control of the regular season stands and leads the Hornets and Lumberjacks by a game and a half. The Lady Griz have won five of seven since the loss, falling to Montana State and Eastern Washington on the road while also taking down Sacramento State.
Montana State was tabbed as the Big Sky's preseason favorite after beating Northern Arizona in last year's tournament championship game. Earning nine of 10 first-place votes from the coaches and 24 of 26 from the media, the Bobcats finished well ahead of second-place Montana. The Lady Griz finished just ahead of the Idaho Vandals in the coaches poll and above the Lumberjacks in the media poll.
The sweep in Montana was just the second in Northern Arizona's team history, last doing so in 2005. The Lumberjacks have won four of the past five meetings with the Lady Griz, Northern Arizona's best stretch in the series history. Montana State has won the past two games against Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, with the Lumberjacks most recent victory coming in 2019.
Tip against Montana State is scheduled for 6 p.m. MST on Thursday with Saturday's game against Montana also set for 6 p.m. MST.
Regan Schenck enters the week on the verge of history in two different ways. The senior guard will set the program record for games played at 144 on Thursday against Montana State while also sitting just eight assists away from tying Sade Cunningham's program record of 637 assists set in 2009. Schenck has finished with eight assists in six of the past seven games and nine games total this season.
Averaging 13.9 points, 7.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 42.2 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three-point range. Schenck is one of just three players in the Big Sky to rank among the Top nine in scoring and assists per game, and still ranks fourth in the nation in assists and sixth in assists per game.
Similar to Schenck,
Montana Oltrogge's 18.0 points and 9.44 rebounds rank fourth and second respectively during conference play, the only player to rank among the Top four in both categories and one of just three to rank in the Top 10 of both categories.
MONTANA STATE
Leading the Big Sky in turnovers forced per game at 17.6, the Bobcats are 10-0 this season when forcing at least 18 turnovers in a game compared to a 7-5 record when it's 17 or less.
The Lumberjacks committed just 13 against the Bobcats in Bozeman, and are 10-4 this season when committing 17 or less turnovers compared to their 2-6 record with 18 or more. Three members of the Bobcats average at least 1.2 steals per game to rank among the conference's Top 15 this season, with a fourth just outside at 1.1 per game.
In the first meeting with the Lumberjacks, Darian White and Lexi Deden led the Bobcats with 14 points apiece, all coming from inside the three-point arc or at the free-throw line. In nine meetings with the Lumberjacks, White has averaged 14.9 point, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists with nearly all of her production coming from two-point range or the free-throw line. Hitting just 2-of-17 from three-point range against the Lumberjacks, White has scored 34.3 percent of her points against the Lumberjacks at the line (46-of-61) compared to her career average of 28.8 points coming on free throws.
Montana State's 68.7 points per game comes from a balanced attack with White's 12.2 points per game leading the team followed by Leia Beattie's 10.3, Kola Bad Bear's 9.9 and Deden's 8.3. Hitting 39 three-pointers this season, 51.8 percent of Beattie's scoring comes from three-point range as the junior leads Montana State's offense on the perimeter.
The Bobcats' 78.4 percent at the free-throw line ranks 12th in the nation with their 14.6 free throws made per game ranking 40th. White's 83 free-throws lead the Bobcats and ranks 63rd nationally.
MONTANA
One of the conference's top shooting rebounding and shooting teams, Montana's 38.1 rebounds per game and 42.1 field-goal percentage both rank third in the Big Sky this season.
Hitting 34.7 percent from three-point range as a team, also ranking third in the Big Sky, the Lady Griz present a challenge with five different players hitting at least 21 three-pointers this season. Led by freshman Libby Stump's team-high 28 threes while hitting 37.8 percent from outside, five players also enter the week shooting at least 37.7 percent from three-point range.
Northern Arizona held Montana to just 5-of-16 from three-point range in the first meeting, with five different players hitting just once from outside. Forwards Keeli Burton-Oliver and Carmen Gfeller each scored 15 points to lead the Lady Griz, with both hitting one three-pointer apiece.
Shooting 31.3 percent from outside against the Lumberjacks, the Lady Griz have lost eight of nine games against Division I opponents when shooting under 37 percent from behind the arc compared to a 7-3 record when shooting at least 37 percent.
Montana has also been outrebounded in just eight of 21 games this season, holding a 2-6 record in such games. Northern Arizona finished the first meeting with a 46-42 advantage on the boards, including a 15-11 edge in the fourth quarter as the Lumberjacks held on for the two-point victory.
Thursday's game against Montana State will be available to watch
here on ESPN+ while live stats can be followed
here. Saturday's game against Montana will be available
here with live stats
here. For Thursday's game, fans in attendance will receive a T-shirt commemorating the team's 40th year of playing in the Walkup Skydome. Saturday's game will have a tote bag giveaway with fans receiving free entry into the game if they bring a pair of socks that will be donated to Flagstaff Shelter Services.
Make sure to follow the NAU women's basketball team on
Twitter,
Instagram and
Facebook for updates throughout the season.
