VERMILLION, S.D. (Dec. 7, 2024) – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team had a seven-game winning streak snapped this morning at South Dakota, falling in Vermillion, S.D. by a final score of 84-79.
With the loss, the Lumberjacks fall to 8-2 on the young season while USD improves to 4-6.
Taylor Feldman scored a career-high 31 points on 12-of-22 from the field with four three pointers, but it wasn't enough to overcome a hot-shooting South Dakota team. The Yotes shot 47.1 percent from the field on the day, including 13-of-28 from three-point range compared to 10-of-33 from Northern Arizona.
Sophie Glancey collected her fifth-straight double-double and her seventh of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The junior now sits just three points away from 1,000 in her career. Joining NAU in double figures were
Nyah Moran (14 points) and
Olivia Moran (11 points, 7 rebounds). Both Feldman and
Leia Beattie dished four assists, while
Olivia Moran collected two steals and Glancey had two blocks.
Saniyah Neverson added seven boards.
Northern Arizona trailed by 10 points at the half and were able to retake the lead with a minute to play in the fourth but came up short.
"South Dakota played a heck of a game today. They were on fire from three and we put ourselves in a big deficit in the first half that we struggled to recover from," said head coach
Loree Payne, who needs one more win to become NAU's all-time winningest coach. "It's been a long few weeks with multiple games and I know we are all looking forward to getting some rest, but also getting back to some fundamental practices to get ready for a strong nonconference finish."
With the score tied 8-8, Beattie was fouled shooting a three and made the shot before heading to the line to complete a four-point play to put NAU up 12-8. Glancey would then join in and make a contested bucket in the post for a 6-0 run and a 14-8 lead. The momentum then swung South Dakota's way and the Yotes ended the quarter on a 13-2 run to take a 21-16 lead into the second.
Both teams came out in the second quarter and hit five of their first nine shot attempts from the field. Beattie and Feldman would hit back-to-back three pointers to quickly erase the five-point deficit and tie the game back at 31-31. From there, the Yotes strung together quick eight points to jump back ahead, 39-31 for their largest lead of the game.
At the half, South Dakota held a 48-38 lead after shooting 52.8 percent from the field. The Yotes shot 64.7 percent in the second quarter with five three-pointers, outscoring NAU 27-22 and holding the 'Jacks to 43.8 percent from the field during the frame.
Northern Arizona used a 6-0 run in the early goings of the third, with four points from
Olivia Moran, to cut the lead to 50-44 before USD popped the advantage right back out to 10. Although the Coyotes only outscored NAU 16-15 in the third quarter, the Lumberjacks couldn't erase the double-digit deficit. The Lumberjacks were held to 29.4 percent from the field (5-17) compared to 7-of-17 (41.2%) for USD. Going into the fourth, South Dakota led 64-53.
The Lumberjacks refused to back down in the fourth quarter.
Nyah Moran came out and used a 6-0 run of her own that included an old-fashioned three-point play and one traditional triple, to make it a 64-59 game and force USD to call for a timeout.
Feldman was instrumental in keeping the 'Jacks in the game in the fourth, scoring 13 of her career-high 31 points during the frame. The junior scored four points in an 8-0 run that allowed NAU to take its first lead of the second half, 70-69. It was back-and-forth from there before USD retook a five-point lead with a minute to play.
With 42 seconds left, the Coyotes led 80-74 when a Glancey three-pointer made it a three-point game. South Dakota went to the free throw line and made both attempts, but who else but Feldman made it a three-point game once again with six seconds left after scoring off a steal from an in-bounds play. However, the Coyotes would get a chance at the free throw line in the final seconds and made both attempts again, sealing the 84-79 win.
There were four lead changes alone in the fourth quarter, as NAU outscored the Yotes 26-20 and shot 47 percent from the field compared to 40 percent for USD, but the halftime deficit could not be erased.
NAU was able to keep itself in the game by making 13-of-16 from the free throw line after 28-of-73 (38.4%) from the field overall. The Lumberjacks had the 42-41 edge on the boards and scored 11 points off eight forced turnovers.
The Lumberjacks take a one-week break for finals and will resume play in Flagstaff on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. Mountain Standard time against San Francisco. Admission to the Rolle Activity Center is free to all.
