OMAHA, Neb. (January 3, 2024) – NAU Basketball (6-8, 0-1 Big Sky) drops first Big Sky-Summit Challenge game to Omaha (8-8, 1-1 Summit) after tough second half shooting leads to the Mavericks 81-55 victory.
The Lumberjacks offense sparked quickly to begin the game with some help from
Jayden Jackson looking to close the rebound margin that's troubled NAU, as the junior picked up back-to-back boards. By the first media break, NAU claimed a three-point lead with the help from a
Diego Campisano three-pointer as the team started with 50.0 percent field goal shooting.
The Mavericks found an 20-0 run out of the timeout to take a 24-9 lead while NAU went scoreless for nearly eight minutes while turnovers continued to be an issue for the Jacks.
Oakland Fort picked up his seventh points of the game to end the Mavericks run with a step-back three-pointer, putting the margin within 12.
Freshman
Arman Madi checked in for the Jacks and quickly went to work to bring NAU back within five points of the Mavericks. Madi earned his first steal of the season while moments later sinking his first three-pointer of the season to extend NAU's own run out to 9-0.
Madi took the Jacks into halftime with his second three-pointer of the night for another NAU run of 5-0 while keeping Omaha scoreless as the Mavericks took a 31-30 lead into the locker room. NAU shot 50.0 percent from the field in the first half, able to bounce back from Omaha's run with 44.4 percent from beyond the arc backed by four steals for NAU in the first half.
The Mavericks shot 47.6 percent from the field through the first half, while going 25.0 (2-8) from three-point range. The Lumberjacks were able to hold Omaha's leading scorer, Frankie Fidler, to nine points in the first frame of the game.
Heading into the first media timeout of the second half, the Lumberjacks trailed by four after Campisano hit his second shot from beyond the arc to stop Omaha's 9-3 start to the second half.
With 14 minutes to play, Omaha was forced to limit its leading rebounder Marquell Sutton who picked up his fourth foul of the night, NAU trailed by 10 as the Mavericks found continued success at the line, shooting 70.0 person on free throws.
By the under-12 media break, NAU trailed 51-39 as Omaha recorded a 11-3 run while capitalizing at the stripe. Ultimately the Lumberjacks were outscored 50-25 in the second frame. After 50.0 percent shooting in the first half, the Jacks fell to 25.0 percent from the field in the second half while Omaha recorded a 60.0 percent half from the field, finishing 33.3 percent from three-point range. The Mavericks went to the line 36 times, shooting 72.2 percent for 26 free throw points.
"We simply have to get better and it's pretty evident we need to take a look at some changes and we will," head coach
Shane Burcar said. "I'm taking accountability for this and that's the bottom line."
Oakland Fort and
Carson Basham finished as NAU's only double-digit scorers with 11 and 10 points respectively, while Omaha had three double-digit players in Fidler with 22, Tony Osburn with 14, and Nick Davis with 13. Basham led the Jacks in rebounds with six total.
The Jacks will now host the second of two Big Sky-Summit Challenge matchups as North Dakota will head to Flagstaff for a 1 p.m. MST game at Findlay Toyota Court in the Skydome on Saturday. To stay up to date with NAU Men's Basketball, follow the Jacks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
