FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 20, 2024) – Bringing in the best program record since the 2001-02 start, the Lumberjacks (4-1, 0-0 Big Sky) will look to extend their win streak to three games as they take on Incarnate Word (3-1, 0-0 Southland) in Rolle Activity Center on Friday night with tip-off set for 6 p.m. MST.
Celebrating 'True Blue Friday', NAU Athletics will be giving away rally towels to fans showing off their Lumberjack pride with any NAU gear. Fans can purchase tickets
here.
Northern Arizona enters Friday night's matchup as the Big Sky's leader in margin of victory at +22.2. The Jacks lone loss of the season comes to ACC opponent Stanford, while bringing in wins to Park-Gilbert, Nelson, Pacific, and Embry-Riddle. The Lumberjacks have shot 49.4 percent from the field to start the season, +12.2 on the rebound margin, and averaging 7.8 steals per game.
Sitting atop the Big Sky,
Trent McLaughlin was named to the 2024-25 Lou Henson 'Early Season' Watch List as announced by collegeinsider.com on Tuesday. The senior is just 158 points shy of joining NAU's 1,000-point club after breaking 1,000 career points last week during the Jacks road victory over the Pacific Tigers, which includes McLaughlin's stats from his first year at Central Connecticut State.
McLaughlin currently leads the conference in scoring with 120 points in 168 minutes on the floor, 39 points ahead of the Big Sky's next leading scorer. Averaging 24.0 points a night, McLaughlin has landed himself in the nation's top ten scorers. With 11 steals in five games, McLaughlin ranks 36
th in the nation in the category, averaging 2.2 per game. The Chandler, Arizona native also leads the team in assists, averaging 3.8 per game while scoring in double-digits in 21 consecutive games.
Jayden Jackson is coming off a career-high matching performance in Flagstaff on Tuesday, scoring 18 points against the Eagles in addition to six rebounds and four assists.
Monty Bowser closed out 13+ minutes on the floor going 4-4 at the line for nine points and three rebounds.
Ali Ragab grabbed four rebounds and two blocks in ten minutes of playing time.
Leigh Rickwood-Pitt tabbed his career high with eight points, recording all in just eight minutes on the floor after checking in in the first half.
The Incarnate Word Cardinals will head into Friday's contest on a three-game win streak. UIW opened the season with a five-point loss at Cal Baptist before bringing in wins to Southwestern, Prairie View A&M, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. As a team, the Cardinals are shooting 52.9 percent from the field, ranking 15
th in the country while 42.2 percent from three-point range marks 18
th in Division-I opponents.
Davion Bailey, Dylan Hayman, Jalin Anderson, and Marcus Glover have all started in all four early-season matchups while Jordan Pyke has started in three with Mintautas Mockus earning one. Bailey currently leads the team in scoring, averaging 19.0 points a night while shooting 49.1 percent from the field. Coming off the bench, Jayden Williams leads UIW on the boards with 8.0 rebounds per game, adding 2.0 blocks per game to his stat line.
NAU took the trip to San Antonio last season, earning a thrilling one-point victory over the Cardinals courtesy of a McLaughlin three-pointer with just two seconds left on the clock. McLaughlin finished with 20 points while UIW's pair of Shon Robinson and Sky Wicks combined for 55 points, only Robinson returns for the Cardinals this season.
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