FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (February 6, 2024) – Beginning the second half of Big Sky Conference play, the Lumberjacks (10-13, 3-6) are set to host Montana (15-8, 6-4) and Montana State (11-12, 6-4) in hopes of avenging two road losses to the Griz and Bobcats earlier this season.
As NAU's home win streak was spoiled by Weber State and Idaho State last week, the Jacks are looking to bounced back in the win column in a packed Skydome on Thursday night and Saturday afternoon, eyeing a jump in the conference standings with nine league meetings left on the regular season slate.
The Lumberjacks found themselves in back-to-back trailing situations, rallying back into the game with both the Wildcats and the Bengals this past weekend before falling by two points in both contests. The Jacks battled back from a 16-point deficit to the Cats while coming back from a nine-point deficit to the Bengals, both margins coming early in the first halves.
NAU was led by
Trent McLaughlin against WSU, who finished the night 50.0 percent from the field with 29 points in 37 minutes on the floor. Against the Bengals,
Oakland Fort led the way playing all 40 minutes while notching a career-high 20 points.
Jayden Jackson is coming off two leading rebounding games, tabbing eight against Weber State and seven against the Bengals.
Although falling in the last three matchups, the Lumberjack squad has hung around with all three opponents offensively, shooting 45.5 percent from the field while opponents shot 48.5 percent. In Big Sky play alone, NAU has averaged 69.1 points per game and 30.2 boards a night.
Bringing a loss to the league leaders into Flagstaff, the Griz will look for their seventh conference victory and a second-straight win while facing the Lumberjacks. While Montana holds the series edge at 78-36, NAU's last win was not all too long ago, coming at the perfect time for the Jacks to advance to the Big Sky Championship game in Boise. In the last five meetings, NAU has gone 3-2 with back-to-back overtime victories in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Montana sits in third place amongst Big Sky teams while matching top team Eastern Washington's 15-8 overall record. The Griz average 76.3 points per game while holding opponents to 71.4. Although holding the third best field goal percentage in the conference, Montana dropped the 78-65 game to Eastern Washington after posting a 34.4 shooting percentage from the field.
Five Griz players hold a field goal percentage above 45.0 on 100+ attempts this season, one being leading scorer Aanen Moody who averages 14.6 points a game. Moody, leading the team with 48 three-pointers, ranks sixth in conference scoring. Freshman Money Williams took a hot start to the season, averaging 14.3 points a game in 11 appearances and six starts, but has not took the court for the Griz since Dec . 19. In the January meeting between the Jacks and the Griz, Dischon Thomas recorded a game-high 22 points, sinking a season-high five buckets from behind the arc. Since the 90-47 loss in Missoula for the Jacks, NAU has tabbed at least 70 points in the last six contests, going 3-3 in Big Sky play after an 0-3 start.
Fourth Place Montana State will enter Saturday's meeting with the Lumberjacks seeking a win after their Thursday night contest with the Northern Colorado Bears, as the team enters the week with an upset loss to Idaho in Bozeman. The Vandals handed the Bobcats just their fourth Big Sky loss while Idaho sits in ninth place in the conference standings, 81-75.
Montana State is home to the fourth and fifth Big Sky scorers in Robert Ford III and Brian Goracke, respectively. Both sit behind NAU's McLaughlin, as each average 15.3 points per game. Leading the team in rebounds, Ford paves the way for the Bobcats while picking up eight boards per contest, ranking third amongst conference players.
The Lumberjacks are looking to snap a eleven-game losing streak to the Bobcats, dating back to 2019, who hold the series advantage at 61-50. The Cats picked up their eleventh-straight win to NAU in January, as the Jacks fell 79-50 in Bozeman. NAU's last victory came on New Year's Eve of 2018 in Flagstaff where the Lumberjacks earned a 74-68 home-court victory.
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