OGDEN, Utah (March 2, 2024) – Tough shooting plagued the Lumberjacks through the second half as NAU dropped its last regular season road game to the Weber State Wildcats in an 85-58 final.
Both defenses began rolling early, as the first points of the game did not come until the 16:21 mark for the Wildcats while Dyson Koehler grabbed a layup.
Jayden Jackson found the Lumberjacks first bucket with a pull-up jumper at the 15:03 mark while the Wildcats would quickly jump out on a 9-2 run to start things off by the first media break of the game.
Carson Basham came out of the timeout to record four quick points with a layup and two at the line, bringing the Jacks back within three. An 8-1 stretch for NAU would tie things up at 10-10 as
Oakland Fort grabbed a layup, while WSU's defense left him alone inside the key.
The Wildcats went on to pick up some offensive momentum, taking a nine-point lead into the final media timeout of the first half.
Diego Campisano drew a crucial foul charged to Dillon Jones ahead of the timeout, sinking both free throws with 3:20 remaining in the first frame.
The Jacks would get one final stop to close out the half, trailing the Wildcats by six with a 40-34 first half under their belts. NAU as a team shot 37.9 percent through the half, while the Cats tabbed a 50.0 percent first half. Keeping things close, NAU went 10-13 at the line, holding Weber State to 5-of-9. The Jacks controlled the rebound game at a 22-17 advantage with
Jayden Jackson leading the team with four. Jackson also led the Jacks in scoring, finishing the frame with eight while Dillon Jones led the game as the lone double-digit scorer with 10 and eight boards.
Jackson became the first Lumberjack in double-digit figures, opening up scoring for the Jacks in the second half just ahead of a Basham block and rebound while
Liam Lloyd found
Trent McLaughlin up the court for the layup to bring NAU within four of the Wildcats. The Cats responded with a 9-0 run over nearly a two-minute span as WSU's Steven Verplancken extended out to 4-of-5 field goals to start the first half, forcing the Jacks into a timeout trailing the Wildcats largest lead of the game yet at 56-42.
Rockwell Reynolds checked in for the Jacks, putting a stop the Weber State's run with one at the line. As the Lumberjacks tabbed just ten second half points midway through the half, the Wildcats found themselves with a 22-point lead as Viljami Vartiainen recorded back-to-back three-pointers, forcing the Jacks into their second timeout with 9:17 to play.
The Wildcats closed out the half shooting 51.5 percent from the field while holding the Jacks to just 24.0 percent. NAU's McLaughlin finished with a team-high 13 points, followed by Jackson with 10 and seven rebounds. Weber State's Jones finished with 21 points and 14 boards, while NAU finished +4 on the boards. The Wildcats took the advantage in the paint at 44-22, while 13-4 on fast breaks, proving to be crucial in the final score.
NAU will close out the regular season with one at home on Sunday, as the Jacks will host the Northern Colorado Bears for Senior Night while honoring
Liam Lloyd's Lumberjack career. To stay up to date with NAU Basketball, follow the Jacks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
