FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 13, 2023) – The Lumberjacks (0-2) are heading to Seattle to take on the Redhawks (2-0) for the first time in program history, as one of three Big Sky opponents on Seattle's 2023-24 slate.
The Jacks are looking to give Seattle their first loss of the season while picking up NAU's first victory of the regular season. The Redhawks opened their season with a 71-60 victory against Prairie View A&M and a 71-68 victory to Big Sky foe, Montana State on Saturday afternoon. NAU fell to No. 6 UConn to open up the 2023-24 campaign, then dropped a game in Phoenix to GCU for the team's first matchup since 2015.
Liam Lloyd has had back-to-back season and career-high nights to start his second year with the Jacks. Lloyd put up 15 against the Huskies, adding five assists, six rebounds, and two steals. Against the Spokane native's former program GCU, Lloyd matched his career-high 16 points, in addition to leading the team in rebounds with seven and picking up four assists. Lloyd is averaging 35 minutes through two starts.
After a quiet game against UConn,
Oakland Fort dropped nine points, three assists, and one steal against the Lopes on Sunday night. Fort sunk two three-pointers in his 25 minutes on the floor. True freshman
Rockwell Reynolds,
Isaiah Kai,
Tichyque Musaka, and
Arman Madi have added some depth to the Lumberjack roster while the team looks to build some momentum without key returners
Carson Towt and
Jack Wistrcill. The two have both been ruled out of the first two games of the season.
Reynolds is averaging 12 minutes on the court for NAU right now, followed by Kai's nine. Kai put up some impressive defense against the Lopes while causing disruption in the back court coverage. Musaka scored his first points as a Lumberjack, putting six up against GCU in just 11 minutes. Madi's first points in blue and gold came on free throws against the Lopes, sinking both while adding one rebound in eight minutes on the court.
Overall, the Jacks are shooting 36.5 percent from the field and 24.2 percent from beyond the arc. Lloyd's scoring ranks fifth amongst Big Sky opponents so far this season, averaging 15.5 points per game, while his rebounding ranks sixth overall, averaging 6.5 boards per game. Lloyd's 4.5 assists per game marks first in the conference.
Carson Basham's is averaging 2 blocked shots per game which ranks first amongst the Big Sky.
Seattle was picked to finish third in the WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, behind GCU and Stephen F. Austin. The Redhawks 2022-23 campaign came to a close in the WAC quarterfinals with a five-point loss to GCU. Seattle enters the 2023-24 slate with three consecutive winning seasons under its belt.
The Redhawks are led by Cameron Tyson who is averaging 36.5 minutes on the floor, in addition to 16.5 points per game, and a 34.5 field goal shooting percentage. Tyson led the Redhawks to a 12-2 conference record last season, averaging 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. The Redhawks are shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from three-point range.
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