FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Jan. 9, 2025) – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team improved to 3-0 in Big Sky Conference play this evening, topping Montana by a final score of 65-46 in its Findlay Toyota Court home opener in Flagstaff.
Overall, NAU improves to 12-4 on the year and wins its third-straight over the Griz who fall to 5-9 this season and 1-2 in conference play. It's the first time the Lumberjacks have been 3-0 to start Big Sky play since 2020-21.
Northern Arizona allowed the least amount of points this season to the Griz, holding them to 28.8 percent (17-for-59) from the field. Three players scored in double figures for Northern Arizona, led by
Taylor Feldman with 24 points. She shot 7-of-14 from the field, 3-of-8 from three-point range and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line while leading the team with three assists.
Sophie Glancey added 15 points while
Nyah Moran scored 10.
Saniyah Neverson led all players with 12 rebounds and, along with Moran, led the team with three steals. Glancey picked up two blocks and six rebounds as well.
"Montana has a ton of offensive threats, and they shoot the ball well. They're probably one of the most like-offensive teams to us, so it was great to hold them to under 50. We've been working on defense and sharpening up on things. Obviously, we had a few dome jitters early on, but I feel like we're getting settled in and we're excited to get back at it on Saturday," said head coach
Loree Payne. "
Saniyah Neverson was phenomenal defensively, we couldn't take her off the floor because she was defending every single player we put her on, she was a phenomenal defensive leader tonight."
It was a slow start offensively for both squads, as each team started the game 1-for-10 from the field. Feldman finally got the 'Jacks going, scoring all six points in a 6-2 run. Glancey would end the quarter with five-straight points, helping NAU lead 15-6 at the end of the first. The Lumberjacks would wind up shooting 35.3 percent from the field, holding the Griz to 20 percent (3-15).
Northern Arizona pulled ahead by 15 points after a
Nyah Moran three-pointer in the second quarter. The Griz would string together a quick five points to cut the lead back down to single digits, but the Lumberjacks stayed steady and lead 32-21 at the half behind 15 points from Feldman. NAU forced 15 turnovers in the first half and shot 37.5 percent from the field.
The Lumberjacks got off to a slow start in the third quarter and did not make a field goal until the 4:20 mark after the Griz had trimmed the lead down to seven points. The basket by Oliva Moran would spark a 6-0 run that pushed the lead back out to 13 points. Feldman would nail a three-pointer with four seconds left and NAU took a 47-34 lead into the half after outscoring the Griz 15-13 during the fourth.
NAU ran away with the game in the fourth quarter, not allowing Montana to make a field goal for the final 5:50 of the contest. A 5-0 run that was capped by an old-fashioned three-point play from
Olivia Moran put NAU up by 21 points. After shooting 41.2 percent from the field and holding the Griz to 21.4 percent during the fourth, Northern Arizona cruised to the 65-46 victory.
Northern Arizona forced a season-high 23 turnovers and scored 15 points off of them with a season-high 15 steals. The Lumberjacks won the rebounding battle, 45-42, and the battle in the paint, 28-16. NAU also had 13 offensive rebounds for 14 second chance points. On the night, NAU was 23-for-67 from the field (34.3%), 6-of-26 from three-point range (23.1%) and 13-for-14 from the free throw line (92.9%). It held the Griz to 28.8 percent (17-for-59) on the night, 7-for-26 from three-point range, and 5-for-6 from the charity stripe.
The Lumberjacks host Montana State, who is also 3-0 in Big Sky play after a win at Northern Colorado tonight, on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. Mountain Standard time at Findlay Toyota Court.
