FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Nov. 20, 2024) – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team erased a 16-point deficit and overtook visiting Arizona on Wednesday night at the Rolle Activity Center in Flagstaff, coming away with an emphatic 92-75 win over the Big 12 foes.
With the victory, the Lumberjacks improve to 4-1 on the year for the first time since 2018-19. They hand Arizona its first loss of the season, dropping to 5-1, while snapping a five-game losing streak to their in-state rivals.
The output also improves NAU to 52-5 since 2018-19 when scoring at least 80 points including a 33-2 record at home.
Northern Arizona was held to just 23.5 percent from the field in the first quarter, allowing the Wildcats to go on a 14-0 run to lead 23-11 after the first. The Lumberjacks regrouped and exploded for 30 points in the second quarter, outscoring UA 30-to-15 to take a 41-38 lead into the half. Northern Arizona never gave the lead back to the Wildcats, leading for 25:34 of the game.
All six players that scored had double-digit performances, led by the reigning Big Sky Conference Player of the Week,
Nyah Moran, with 22 points. It marked her second consecutive 20-plus point performance and her fourth-straight in double figures with 20 of her 22 points coming in the second half.
Saniyah Neverson earned the second double-double of her career with 15 rebounds and 10 points, making 3-of-6 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Leia Beattie made 5-of-8 from three-point range for 17 points in all and came a rebound short of a double-double while adding five assists and two steals.
Sophie Glancey put up 17 points and six rebounds, while
Olivia Moran rounded things out with 10 points, four assists, three steals and five rebounds.
Taylor Feldman scored 16 points on 4-of-12 from the field and 6-of-7 at the free throw line plus two three-pointers, adding five assists.
"I'm super proud of our team. We started shaky but we put together 35 really, really, great minutes of basketball. The crowd was awesome, and we had multiple players step up during different points of the game," said head coach
Loree Payne, who now just needs five more wins to become NAU's all-time winningest coach. "I would say it was a pretty dominating win, and it shows what we are capable of as a team when we play the way we're capable of playing – have freedom, have fun, play hard. I feel like we put together a solid effort tonight."
The Wildcats looked unstoppable after the first quarter – out-rebounding NAU 14-to-10 and keeping the 'Jacks 0-for-7 from behind the three-point line while forcing seven turnovers and shooting 56.3 percent from the field to lead 23-11.
In the second quarter, Arizona looked to continue to pour it on, opening up a 16-point lead. Five quick points from Beattie would cap a quick 6-0 run to put NAU within 10 points, forcing a Wildcat timeout. Out of the break, Arizona found a quick basket but from there, the 'Jacks went on a 12-0 run to tie the game at 29-29. The run included six points from Feldman.
Arizona took a brief lead, but a three-pointer from Beattie put them away for good with 2:47 remaining in the half, taking a 41-38 lead into the locker room.
The Lumberjacks did anything but let up in the third quarter – forcing two early turnovers and going on a 7-0 run in 54 seconds to make the Wildcats call timeout. Northern Arizona shot 60 percent (12-20) during the frame with four triples, holding the Wildcats to 46.2 percent.
The fourth quarter was more evenly matched with both teams scoring 20 points and the Wildcats shooting 50 percent from the field, but the late push came too late and NAU cruised to the 92-75 victory.
After turning the ball over seven times in the first quarter, Northern Arizona ended with just 12 and forced 17 – scoring 19 points off Arizona's miscues. NAU also won the rebounding battle, 45-to-37 and 23 of its 30 field goals were assisted. Arizona also made 30 field goals, but NAU was 22-for-29 from the free throw line with 10-of-32 from three-point range compared to 10-of-18 from the charity stripe and 5-of-16 from a distance for the Wildcats.
The Lumberjacks go on to face their third Mountain West Conference foe in Colorado State on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. MST in Fort Collins, Colo.
