FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 28, 2023) – The Jacks (2-4) will head to California this week for a night game against UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday before returning home for the team's home opener at Rolle Activity Center on Saturday against Pacific.
UC Santa Barbara and Pacific were two of NAU's three non-conference victories last season, the only two Division I non-conference wins. It has been eight days since the Jacks were last in action, dropping a game to Hawaii, 70-61. The last two losses for NAU have come in a ten-point or less margin.
Trent McLaughlin leads the Jacks in scoring while ranking ninth in the Big Sky, averaging 13 points per game, whiling scoring in double-digit figures in the last four games.
McLaughlin's 14 steals lead the team while ranking second amongst conference opponents, leading NAU to ranking fifth in steals as a team in the Big Sky.
Jayden Jackson and
Liam Lloyd are second in steals with six a piece while
Oakland Fort and
C.J. Ford have five a piece followed by
Ryan Abelman's four.
In the Jacks nine-point loss to Hawaii Jackson and McLaughlin both finished with double-digits, with 13 and 14, respectively. Four Lumberjacks picked up five boards in Jackson, Fort, McLaughlin, and
Carson Basham. The Jacks were outrebounded by one, 34-35. The Jacks committed 17 turnovers while only forcing 14. NAU has been outrebounded by all six opponents this season.
NAU will take on UC Santa Barbara for the first time since Nov. 18, 2022, where the Lumberjacks earned a 63-54 victory in Flagstaff.
Liam Lloyd tabbed ten points in 29 minutes on the floor, going 4-11 from the field and 2-6 from beyond the arc. The win brought the all-time series 2-2, while marking the first victory to the Gauchos since 1980.
UCSB has a 3-2 start to the 2023 campaign and will enter Wednesday's matchup on a three-game win streak with home victories against Le Moyne and Westmont alongside a Fresno State road victory. The Gauchos return Ajay Mitchell who led the team in scoring in last season's matchup with the Jacks. Mitchell currently leads the team offensively, averaging 21 points per game while second in rebounding, averaging 5.7 per game.
UCSB's offense ranks second amongst Big West, averaging 81.6 points per game behind UC Irvine and UC San Diego's 81.7 points per game. The Gauchos sit first in team defensive rebounds, averaging 29.8 per game as the team is sixth in the overall conference standings.
Saturday will mark the Jacks first official home game of the season, after being on the road for seven games straight in 27 days to start the season. The Jacks last saw Pacific on Dec. 6, 2022, where NAU picked up a 73-69 victory in Stockton. The close game saw 11 lead changes and six ties before the Jacks were able to capitalize on turnovers with 20 points total to secure the victory. NAU leads the all-time series against the Tigers 4-0.
Judson Martindale leads the Tigers, averaging 12.1 points per game as one of two Pacific players averaging double-digit scoring. Martindale is shooting 45.9 percent from the field in addition to 36.7 percent in three-point shooting. Donovan Williams, averaging 10. 3 points per game, leads the team in rebounding with 5.1 boards per game.
The Tigers 4-3 start to the season has seen wins to Cal, Lamar, Le Moyne, and most recently Mississippi Valley State in overtime. The Tigers will host CSUN on Wednesday before heading the Flagstaff for the team's lone game of the weekend. The Tigers sit in seventh in West Coast Conference standings, out of nine teams total, in front of Saint Mary's and Pepperdine while Santa Clara and Gonzaga top the conference standings.
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