FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (December 12, 2024) – Northern Arizona Basketball (7-3, 0-0 Big Sky) returns to action in Malibu this Saturday, as the Lumberjacks take on the Pepperdine Waves (4-6, 0-0 WCC) in what marks one of three final non-conference matchups for both programs.
The Jacks earned their first Big Sky Player of the Week award of the season this week, with
Carson Towt bringing in the honors following his fifth and sixth double-double performances of the season. Towt's 10-point game against South Dakota marked his fifth-straight in double-digit scoring, leading Northern Arizona to a 5-0 undefeated record in Flagstaff. Towt scored 17 against Oral Roberts the contest before, finishing 12-of-19 through both games to hold a 58.3 field goal percentage through 10 games. Towt is currently 120 points shy of hitting 1,000 career points with NAU.
Towt averaged 17 rebounds through the two contests, picking up 18 against the Coyotes, while currently ranking 4
th in the nation in rebounds per game (11.3), T-3
rd in double-doubles (6 total), and t-3
rd in defensive rebounds per game (8.4). Towt is currently holds 768 career rebounds, just 232 shy of 1,000 career rebounds at NAU. Towt added four blocks and 10 assists to his weekly stat line.
Trent McLaughlin continues to lead the Big Sky Conference, averaging 22.6 points a game which ranks seventh in the nation. McLaughlin is just 52 points shy of joining NAU's 1,000-point club while simultaneously leading the team in steals with 1.5 per game and averaging 3.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds.
Jayden Jackson is the third Lumberjack averaging double-digit scoring currently with 12.7 points per game, coming off his second 20-point game of the season while shooting 53.8 percent from the field.
The Lumberjack bench has created some momentum in the last few weeks, scoring 67 points in the last three contests after scoring just eight in the previous two matchups.
Monty Bowser put on a show for the Flagstaff crowd last Saturday against South Dakota, finishing the game with 14 points on 85.7 percent field-goal shooting from the transfer.
Leigh Rickwood-Pitt closed out the game with nine points and five rebounds in 14 minutes on the floor.
Pepperdine opened its season with back-to-back victories over Lincoln (CA) and Western Illinois before falling in the next five contests, bouncing back with a victory over New Mexico State in the Arizona Tip-Off tournament, before falling to Big Sky opponent, Weber State. The Waves are entering Saturday's matchup on a two-game win streak, following the tournament with wins over Life Pacific and Grambling State.
The Waves are led by senior Stefan Todorovic who is averaging 18.9 points per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the field. Moe Odum trails as Pepperdine's only other double-digit scorer currently, averaging 11.0 points a night. Sophomore Dovydas Butka leads the team on the boards, averaging 5.7 rebounds per game in addition to 2.4 assists.
As a team, the Waves are shooting 45.4 percent from the field and holding opponents to 41.2 percent. Pepperdine is averaging 6.7 three-pointers per game in addition to 73.2 percent free-throw shooting, while averaging a 3.6 rebounds margin on 38.1 boards per game. Pepperdine leads the overall series at 15-3 with the Jacks last victory over the Waves coming in 2010 with a 88-74 final in Malibu.
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