| Northern Arizona Men's Basketball |
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (February 5, 2023) – The Northern Arizona University men's basketball team won't have to wait long to put a pair of one-point road losses behind it.
After dropping a 69-68 matchup at Montana State on Feb. 2 and a 67-66 contest at Montana on Feb. 4, it's a quick turnaround for the Lumberjacks to bounce back when they host Idaho State on Monday, Feb. 6 at Findlay Toyota Court at 6 p.m. Mountain Standard time.
Monday's contest marks the first of three-straight games at home as NAU will play five games in eight days. After tomorrow's game, the Lumberjacks host Sacramento State on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. MST and Portland State on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. MST.
Last week's losses dropped NAU to 6-18 overall and 2-9 in Big Sky Conference play. The last six of Northern Arizona's losses dating back to Jan. 12 have been decided by five points or less and a combined 14 points. That stretch includes three games that have been decided by just one point in the final seconds.
Idaho State is coming off a heartbreaker of its own, dropping a 72-71 double overtime contest at Weber State on Saturday night. The Bengals sit at 8-15 overall and an even 5-5 in Big Sky action. ISU enters tomorrow's game winning two of its last five contests.
Northern Arizona will look to avenge a 79-53 Big Sky opening loss at Idaho State back on Dec. 29, 2022. Although three Lumberjacks scored in double figures, led by
Carson Towt with 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists, NAU was held to 40 percent from the field and were 3-for-13 from three-point range. The loss marks the largest deficit for NAU this season.
Idaho State leads the all-time series with NAU, 62-49 and have won two-straight, including seven out of the last 10. The Lumberjacks have not beaten the Bengals in Flagstaff since Feb. 18, 2016, giving ISU six-straight road victories. The last overall win for NAU came on Dec. 4, 2021. Under head coach
Shane Burcar, the Lumberjacks are 2-6 overall against the Bengals.
Jalen Cone leads the Lumberjacks with 17.2 points per game and has scored in double figures in 13-straight games. Cone is 19 points away from becoming NAU's 32
nd member of the 1,000-career point club. Recently, he also jumped up to ninth on Northern Arizona's all-time career three-pointers made list with 153 in less than two seasons. The junior is one of the Big Sky's best shooters, ranking eighth in field goal percentage (.412), first in free throw percentage (.845) and third in three-point percentage (.382). He leads the league in three-pointers per game with 2.7, dropping 60 on the season.
Xavier Fuller is the other Lumberjack who averages double figures, sitting at 12.8 per game and 16.5 in conference play. Fuller has scored in double figures in eight-straight games, scoring 20 or more points in half of them.
Towt is coming off a career-high 23 points at Montana where he earned a double-double with 12 rebounds. Towt is nearly averaging a double-double with 9.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He is making 50.5 percent of his shots from the field and leads the conference with 3.4 offensive boards per contest.
Also emerging as one of NAU's best three-point shooters in Trenton McLaughlin, who ranks 13
th in conference-only games with 19 triples made. Against Montana State, he made five three-pointers for a career-high 19 points to lead the team.
Both Northern Arizona and Idaho State average over eight three-pointers per game. They are evenly matched, with the Lumberjacks averaging 71.5 points per game and ISU averages 69.9.
Idaho State has four players who average double figures, led by Brock Mackenzie with 12.9 points per contest and Miguel Tomley with 12.0.
