FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Dec. 14, 2023) – With finals week behind them, the Northern Arizona University women's basketball team takes to the court for the first time in nine days on Monday, Dec. 18, when it takes on Pepperdine at the Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. Mountain Standard time and the contest will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
A LOOK AT THE LUMBERJACKS: Northern Arizona is on a two-game winning streak after picking up two victories over West Coast Conference opponents at home against Pacific (96-65) and on the road at San Francisco (92-76). Winners of five out of the last six games, the Lumberjacks are 6-3 for the first time since the 2005-06 season. Away from Flagstaff this season, NAU is 4-2.
Fifth-year senior
Emily Rodabaugh made history on Saturday against San Francisco, draining five three-pointers to break Northern Arizona's all-time three-pointers made record with 197 in her career. She passed Kim Winkfield (2002-07) and Amy Patton (2009-13) who held the previous record of 193. Additionally, with 17 points to lead the Jacks, Rodabaugh is now 10
th on NAU's all-time scoring list with 1,103 career points.
Rodabaugh is averaging 11.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. She is second in the Big Sky Conference and 81
st nationally with 22 triples on the year, averaging 2.4 per game which is 73
rd.
Sophie Glancey is having a solid start to her sophomore campaign, leading Northern Arizona with 12.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. She has scored in double figures in six-straight games leading into Monday, and is third in the conference and 76
th nationally in field goal percentage, draining 53.5 percent (46-86) of her attempts from the field.
Leia Beattie is the third Lumberjack to average double figures, adding 10.1 points per game to go with 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest. She is also fourth in the Big Sky with 2.0 steals per game.
A pair of point guards in
Grace Beasley (3.1) and
Taylor Feldman (3.0) pace NAU in assists per game. Feldman ranks seventh in the Big Sky in assists and fourth in assists to turnover ratio with 1.4.
The Lumberjacks have scored over 90 points in three games this year, ranking second in the Big Sky with 74.9 points per game, making 42.1 percent of its attempts from the field. As a team, NAU leads the Big Sky with 71 made triples on the season, averaging 7.9 per game. The Lumberjacks are also third in rebounds per game (39.1) and lead the conference with 118 total offensive boards and 234 defensive rebounds. They are also second in assists to turnover ratio (1.10), blocked shots per game (3.89) and assists (17.11).
SERIES HISTORY WITH PEPPERDINE: Northern Arizona trails the all-time series against the Waves, 3-7, and have lost five straight. The two squads last faced off in Flagstaff on Dec. 16, 2014, where NAU lost 66-63. The first meeting took place in 1985 and the Lumberjacks have never won in Malibu. The last victory over Pepperdine came in 1994-95.
Against WCC opponents this season, the Lumberjacks are a perfect 3-0. All-time, NAU is 21-25 against foes from the WCC.
A LOOK AT THE WAVES: Pepperdine is 2-8 on the year and have lost seven-straight. The Waves play at CSU Bakersfield on Dec. 16 before hosting NAU on Monday afternoon. Its lone wins have come over UC Irvine and Caltech.
Pepperdine ranks 27
th nationally in three-point percentage defense, holding opponents to just 24 percent behind the arc. The Waves are at the bottom of the WCC with just 54.0 points per game, but only allow 61.9 to rank second and hold opponents to 37.7 percent from the field. Pepperdine is second in the conference with 4.60 blocks per game but turn the ball over an average of 23 times per game with 230 total.
Jane Nwaba leads the Waves with 9.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while Ella Brubaker adds 8.6 points per contest.
LAST TIME OUT: The Northern Arizona University women's basketball team overcame a slow start and finished strong with a 92-76 victory at San Francisco on Saturday afternoon.
NAU trailed 28-22 after the first quarter and were down a point at the half before outscoring the Dons 49-32 in the second half for its second-straight win.
Rodabaugh led a squad of five Lumberjacks who reached double-digit scoring.
Sophie Glancey turned in her first double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds, making 7-of-11 from the field. Tayor Feldman scored a season-high 13 points off the bench and led the team with six assists.
Nyah Moran (12 points) and
Olivia Moran (10 points) rounded things out with double-digit performances in their home state.
Grace Beasley nearly earned a triple-double with eight points, seven rebounds and five assists while
Leia Beattie finished with seven points and nine rebounds.
Northern Arizona was plus-ten in the rebounding category, pulling down 16 offensive boards to USF's six. The Lumberjacks drained a season-high 12 three-pointers and turned the ball over just 10 times which is a season-low. Nineteen of NAU's 34 field goals were assisted, and it forced 14 turnovers that were turned into 19 points.
UP NEXT: After Monday's game, the Lumberjacks hit the road again to face former Big Sky foe, Southern Utah, on Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. MST.
