SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (November 3, 2025) – Zack Davidson had a stellar Lumberjack debut in Northern Arizona men's basketball's 77-71 loss to Drake on Monday to open the 2025-26 season. Davidson totaled 29 points and nine rebounds in his first career collegiate start, nearly powering the Lumberjacks to a victory in The Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon.
NAU and Drake were locked in a 71-71 tie with two minutes remaining before the Bulldogs – a second round NCAA Tournament team from a year ago – scored the final six points of the game to emerge from the Sanford Pentagon victorious.
"It's very difficult now, but you have to look at the big picture," said head coach
Shane Burcar. "This team has a lot of potential. It sure would have been nice to leave here with a win, but I liked how we battled back in the first half. Drake is going to be really good again in their conference and we have a great chance to be good too throughout the season."
Davidson, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Montana who scored all of 38 points last season, was a force on Monday. He shot 12-of-19 from the field and at one point, scored 10 consecutive points for the Lumberjacks in the second half.
"Zack can score the ball and he had both his left hand and right hand going today," Burcar said. "When we can work the ball down in the post to him, it's very encouraging for us moving forward."
Davidson was not the only new face who impressed in their NAU debut on Monday.
Traivar Jackson matched Davidson in the rebound column with a team-high nine boards, including six on the offensive glass, and
Arne Osojnik scored 10 points and paced the team with five assists.
Ryan Abelman, who set new career-highs with 18 points and five 3-pointers, was surrounded in NAU's first starting lineup of the season by newcomers. Davidson, Jackson, Osojnik and true freshman
Brennan Peterson all earned the start in the Lumberjacks' season opener.
The Lumberjacks got off to a slow start offensively, falling behind 13-4 eight minutes into the game, before Abelman got the team going with his first of four 3-pointers in the first half. Abelman followed with old-fashioned 3-point play to cut Drake's lead to 13-10 and NAU eventually snagged its first lead of the game at 24-23 on another Abelman triple.
Abelman sent the 'Jacks into the locker room with a 31-28 edge on his final 3-pointer of the opening period. At the half, Abelman already eclipsed his previous career-high of 13 points with 15 on the ledger, while Davidson had 10 points at the break.
Both teams' offenses picked up after the intermission and the Bulldogs in particular shot 53.3% from the field in the final 20 minutes. The two teams combined to make 10 straight field goals in the first three minutes of the half.
Three consecutive makes from behind the arc from Abelman,
Isaiah Shaw and Davidson gave the Lumberjacks their largest lead of the game, 51-40, with 14:02 remaining, but the Bulldogs reeled off nine straight points to pull within two. NAU quickly responded with a 7-0 run, capped by an Osojnik trey, to extend its lead back out to 58-49 before Drake slowly started to chip away.
The Bulldogs eventually took a 65-64 lead with 5:20 to go and led 71-66 with three minutes to play. Davidson knocked down a jumper and Osojnik followed with an and-1 to tie the game at 71-71 less than a minute later.
From there, Drake capitalized on a second chance opportunity to retake a 73-71 lead and the Bulldogs converted on four free throw attempts in the final seconds to seal the win.
The Lumberjacks shot 44.4% in the second half and finished the game at 37.0% from the field. NAU made 10 3-pointers to Drake's seven, but the Bulldogs made nine more free throws in the close game.
The Bulldogs also outrebounded the Lumberjacks, 46-39, although NAU hauled in 15 offensive boards. The Lumberjacks also committed just six turnovers.
NAU heads back to Flagstaff for its home opener on Friday in the Rolle Activity Center, hosting Justice College at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at this
link.
Stay up to date with Northern Arizona men's basketball by following the Lumberjacks on
X and
Instagram.
