OGDEN, Utah (Feb. 1, 2024) – Leading from start to finish with five in double figures, the Northern Arizona University women's basketball team earned a road victory at Weber State this evening by a score of 85-65.
It marked the fifth-straight victory for NAU who now improve to 15-6 overall and 7-1 in Big Sky Conference play. Weber State drops to 6-16 and 3-6 in conference action, as the Lumberjacks pick up their 12
th-straight win over the Wildcats.
Five players scored in double figures for NAU, led by
Emily Rodabaugh who scored 18 points on 5-of-9 from three-point range while adding three blocks.
Sophie Glancey (10 points, 9 rebounds) and
Taylor Feldman (10 points, 8 assists) nearly earned double-doubles.
Olivia Moran and
Leia Beattie each added 16 points, with Moran making 6-of-10 from the field and Beattie knocking down four three-pointers.
Nyah Moran finished with nine points, while
Saniyah Neverson added eight rebounds and six points.
The Lumberjacks led 18-6 after the first quarter, but Weber State would cut the lead down to two points in the second quarter. After leading 34-27 at the half, NAU outscored the Wildcats 24-22 in a closely contested third frame before a big 14-0 run in the fourth quarter helped Northern Arizona put the game away.
Northern Arizona put together its best shooting performance of the season, making 30-of-55 from the field (54.5%) while also making a season-high 13 three-pointers (54.2%). The Wildcats were held to 39 percent from the field and made seven three-pointers. NAU had the 33-to-30 edge on the glass and had a 14-4 advantage in fast break points.
"Road wins are tough in this league, so I'm very proud of the team for their composure and poise down the stretch," said head coach
Loree Payne, who picked up her 99
th victory at NAU tonight. "Our posts rebounded incredibly well, and our shooters knocked down shots.
Taylor Feldman also was impressive with controlling the tempo of the game with eight assists to only one turnover. It was a complete team effort tonight."
In the first quarter, the Lumberjacks got out to an 11-2 lead after four different players scored. Northern Arizona used two runs of 8-0 and 7-0 and made four three-pointers, two of which came from
Leia Beattie, to lead 18-6 after the opening ten minutes. Defensively, NAU held the Wildcats to 27 percent from the field and forced six early turnovers.
The tides quickly turned to start the second quarter. The Wildcats came out in the second quarter and went on a 12-2 run to cut the lead to single digits, 20-18.
Olivia Moran finally put a stop to run with an old-fashioned three-point play to pull back ahead by five. With 5:52 remaining, the Wildcats got as close as two points once again, but the Lumberjacks found composure and used an 11-3 run to go back ahead by ten, 34-24. WSU made a three-pointer in the final seconds of the half, but NAU headed into the locker room up 34-27.
Despite being outscored 21-16 in the second quarter, NAU still shot 50 percent from the floor (6-12) but were 3-of-7 from the free throw line and made just one three-pointer while the Wildcats went 3-for-6 from behind the arc.
Olivia Moran led the Lumberjacks with seven points at the half, while
Sophie Glancey had seven rebounds and four points.
The third quarter was choppy and physical with the Wildcats being called for eight fouls and the Lumberjacks committing five. Rodabaugh was big in the third frame, draining three triples to extend the lead out to 49-40 by the media timeout. Beattie also posed a three-point threat with consecutive three-pointers to stretch the lead out to 56-46. The third quarter was also high scoring, with NAU owning the 24-22 edge and both squads shooting over 50 percent from the field. At the end of the third, the Lumberjacks led 58-49.
The Lumberjacks came alive in the fourth quarter, creating some space with a 10-0 run after hitting a streak of 9-of-10 from the field. Four different players scored in the run as Northern Arizona built its largest lead of 81-61, forcing a Wildcat timeout. Out of the break, Neverson and
Olivia Moran found the basket for a 14-0 run. NAU ended the game outscoring the Wildcats 27-16 in the final quarter while shooting 68.8 percent from the field en route to the 85-65 victory.
Northern Arizona is in the early stages of a four-game road swing, which continues at Idaho State on Saturday, Feb. 3, at 2 p.m. Mountain Standard time in Pocatello, Idaho.
