FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Dec. 12, 2024) – Following the conclusion of finals week and the Fall semester, the Northern Arizona women's basketball team is back in Flagstaff for its final game at the Rolle Activity Center. The Lumberjacks host West Coast Conference opponent, San Francisco, on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. Mountain Standard time.
Admission is free to all, and fans in attendance have a chance to win $500 from Desert Financial Credit Union. For those not in attendance, the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
NAU is 8-2 overall and have won seven out of its last eight games with an undefeated (3-0) mark in Flagstaff this season. The Lumberjacks welcome the Dons who are 2-5 on the year and haven't played a game since Dec. 4, an 81-79 loss at Columbia.
Head coach
Loree Payne will be looking to make history, as she is one victory away from becoming Northern Arizona's all-time winningest coach. She tied Laurie Kelley's (2003-12) record with 117 wins on Dec. 4 against Oral Roberts.
Also chasing a milestone is junior
Sophie Glancey who is just three points away from becoming the 23
rd member of NAU's 1,000 career point club.
Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting in Flagstaff between Northern Arizona and San Francisco. The Dons lead the all-time series, 4-1. Last year, the teams met for the first time since the 1997-98 season in San Francisco. The Lumberjacks came away with a 92-76 victory for their first-ever win against USF. NAU trailed by a point at the half before outscoring the Dons 49-32 in the second half. Now graduated,
Emily Rodabaugh broke NAU's all-time record in career three-pointers made in the win, leading five in double figures including Glancey (16 pts, 11 rebs),
Nyah Moran (12 points) and
Olivia Moran (10 points). NAU was plus-ten in the rebounding category, only committed 10 turnovers, and drained 12 three-pointers.
The Dons are solid defensively, ranking 23
rd in the nation in field goal percentage defense (34.9%) and holding opponents to 59.6 points per game. Three different players average double figures for USF, led by Freja Werth with 12.6 points. Debora dos Santos averages 10.9 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game. Coming into the game, USF has lost four-straight matchups and are 0-4 on the road this year.
Northern Arizona is one of the nation's top rebounding teams, averaging 45.2 per game which ranks 10
th in the nation while the 32.9 defensive rebounds per game is fourth. Averaging 83.4 points per game, NAU also ranks 20
th in the country in scoring offense. The Lumberjacks rattle off 29.6 three-pointers per game which is the 11
th-highest nationally, and they like to share the basketball too – ranking 24
th in the country with 17.7 assists per game.
Glancey ranks third in the nation with seven double-doubles, five of which have come consecutively. She averages 9.3 rebounds per game, which ranks 33
rd nationally, to go with a team-high 17.3 points per game, scoring in double figures in 17-straight games dating back to last season. The Preseason Big Sky MVP also leads the league in scoring and blocks per game (1.5) while ranking third in field goal percentage (51.5%).
Three other Lumberjacks average double figures in
Nyah Moran (15.8), who has scored in double figures in nine-straight games and recently just eclipsed 1,000 career points.
Taylor Feldman is coming off a career-high 31 points at South Dakota and adds 15.3.
Leia Beattie adds 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. She ranks 27
th in the nation with 27 made three-pointers on the year, and 42
nd with 2.7 per game. She has made a three-pointer in 11-straight games dating back to last season.
Saniyah Neverson rounds thing out with 9.0 rebounds per game.
Following Saturday's game, NAU closes out non-conference play on the road. The Lumberjacks take on Fresno State on Thursday, Dec. 19 before breaking for the holidays. Northern Arizona then plays at Grand Canyon on Dec. 29 to close out 2024.
