FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 29, 2023) – NAU Basketball (2-5) falls to UC Santa Barbara (4-2) 71-60 to end season-opening road stretch for the Jacks.
"We're building things up ahead of Big Sky conference play and we're very capable of winning these games, we have got to find ways to put the ball in the basket" head coach
Shane Burcar said.
The Jacks put themselves on the board first after a UCSB missed jumper to start the game,
Jayden Jackson found a lane and drove all the way into the paint for the reverse layup. It was a slower start for both teams, as things were tied up 5-5 at the first media timeout.
Trent McLaughlin, ranked second in the Big Sky in steals, picked up his first of the game with 14:29 on the clock, leading to
Oakland Fort's second three-pointer of the night to tie things up for the second time in the game, at 10-10.
The Gauchos began to pull ahead on a 13-2 run in a four-minute span backed by UC Santa Barbara's leading scorer Ajay Mitchell. Mitchell accounted for 14 of the Gauchos 31 points ahead of the final media timeout of the half. UCSB was able to hold on to the lead despite the Jacks knocking down a couple late three-pointers from Fort and
Liam Lloyd, as the Jacks trailed 41-33 at the break.
The Jacks shot a strong 41.4 percent from the field through the first 20 minutes, although not able to hold UCSB's filed goal percentage under their second nationally ranked average of 54.0. Mitchell finished the first half for the Gauchos with a team-high 16 points, going 5-for-8 from the field and a perfect 6-6 at the line.
NAU's Fort finished the first half with a team-high 12 points, going 3-4 from beyond the arc and 3-3 at the line. The Lumberjacks allowed 20 points in the paint while also allowing nine points off turnovers as the Gauchos led rebounding 18-15 heading into the second half.
A dominant start for the Gauchos led to their biggest lead of the night of 14 (60-48), once again led by a Mitchell dropping four at the line alongside a step-back jumper off an NAU turnover. McLaughlin answered while capitalizing off a lostball turnover from UCSB, driving inside for the quick jumper to bring things back within a ten-point margin.
The Jacks hit a two-minute scoring drought with a minute and a half left in the game as UCSB extended its lead out to 70-57 led by Mitchell's career-high campaign of 30 points while going 9-15 from the field and 11-12 at the line. Mitchell alone outshot the Jacks at the free throw line, as the Jacks went 8-11 as a team.
Josh Pierre-Louis followed Mitchell with a double-double in 12 points and 10 rebounds while adding three assists. Shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three, the Gauchos finished with +15 rebounds.
NAU struggled with foul trouble for the second-consecutive game, being charged with 17 personal fouls and allowing 15 UCSB points at the line, forcing some limited minutes as NAU looked to the bench. The Jacks finished with a 38.6 field goal percentage alongside a 26.9 percentage from three-point range. Jackson had a team-high 17 points while Fort followed with 14, McLaughlin with 12, and Lloyd with 8. Lloyd and
Carson Basham led the team with six boards a piece.
The Lumberjacks will now head home to host Pacific on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tipoff at Rolle Activity Center.
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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