FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (March 7, 2024) – The regular season may be behind them, but the biggest part of the year is just beginning for the Northern Arizona University women's basketball team. The Lumberjacks earned the No. 2 seed for this year's Big Sky Basketball Championships that run from March 9-13 in Boise, Idaho, at the Idaho Central Arena.
Northern Arizona earned a first-round bye and will take on the winner of No. 7 Idaho State/No. 8 Sacramento State in the quarterfinals on Sunday, March 10 at 1:30 p.m. Mountain Standard time.
The semifinal matchup is set for 1:30 p.m. MST on Tuesday, March 12 and the championship is at 2 p.m. MST on Wednesday, March 13. All games will be broadcast on ESPN+ with the championship set to air on ESPNU as well. James Malamas will have the call on the Lumberjack Radio Network.
The Lumberjacks enter the championships on a four-game winning streak. They finished second in the regular season with a 23-8 overall record and a 15-3 mark in Big Sky play. The overall wins total is a program record for victories in a single season, while the 15 conference wins matches the most in a single season since 1997-98.
Although they have made it to the championship game the last two years, NAU is seeking its first tournament championship since the 2006 season – the lone time the Lumberjacks have advanced to the NCAA Championships. NAU is 16-23 all-time in the Big Sky Conference tournament.
Idaho State and Northern Arizona have faced off just once in the postseason in 2007 where the No. 4 Lumberjacks lost to the No. 2 Bengals in the championship game, 84-78 in Missoula, Mont. The Hornets and the Lumberjacks have a bit more storied history, as NAU lost to Sacramento State in last year's championship game, 76-63. Prior to that loss, Northern Arizona beat the Hornets in the first round in both 2005 and 2019.
The Bengals finished the regular season 11-18 and 7-11 in Big Sky play. Northern Arizona swept the season meetings with a 73-59 victory in Pocatello, Idaho on Feb. 3 and an 89-74 win on Feb. 29 in Flagstaff. During the final meeting of the year, NAU made 15 triples to tie a single-game program record. Northern Arizona has won three-straight over ISU.
Sacramento State and Northern Arizona split the season meetings with each picking up a win on the road. The Lumberjacks won 83-66 on Jan. 20 in Sacramento, scoring 37 points in the first quarter and never looking back. The script flipped during the second meeting, as it was the Hornets who served NAU an 82-66 loss on Feb. 15 after leading 52-30 at the half. That game marked the last victory for Sacramento State and the last loss for the Lumberjacks. The Hornets finished the year 5-24 overall and 4-14 in Big Sky play.
Northern Arizona is led by
Sophie Glancey, who was just a unanimous decision on the All-Big Sky first team. She in this midst of a standout sophomore season that saw her lead the league in conference-only games with 17.4 points per game. She ranked first in the conference in field goal percentage (123-233, 52.8%) and offensive rebounds (3.1 orpg), third in rebounding (7.7 rpg), and second in blocked shots (1.2 bpg). Through all games, she leads NAU and ranks second in the conference with 15.2 points per game, fourth in rebounds with 7.2 per game, second in blocked shots (1.2 bpg) and continues to lead the league in field goal percentage, making 52.8 percent of her attempts from the field this season.
Leia Beattie ranks second on the team in scoring with 11.7 points per game and gave opponents nothing but trouble from behind the three-point line, making 68 of her 162 attempts to rank second in the league in three-point percentage (42.0%).
Emily Rodabaugh ranks third on the team with 11.5 points per game and is second in rebounding with 5.5 per contest. She ranks 13
th in the Big Sky in scoring and 14
th in rebounding. Rodabaugh continues to make her mark from three-point range, ranking sixth in the conference in three-point percentage (37.0) and fourth in three-pointers made per game with 2.3, making 68 total on the year which is currently tied for sixth along with Beattie on NAU's single-season three-pointers made list.
Northern Arizona leads the Big Sky with 75.9 points per game but allow the most with 70 points per game. NAU also leads the Big Sky in free throw percentage (77.7%), rebounding (38.5) and assists (16.32). The 'Jacks take good care of the basketball, ranking second in turnover margin (2.52) and assist to turnover ratio (1.22).
