FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (March 19, 2025) – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team is set to take on No. 2-seeded Arizona in the first round of the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) this Thursday, March 20, at 6 p.m. Mountain Standard time at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.
The winner will go on to play the winner of Middle Tennessee State and Belmont on Sunday, March 23 in the second round at a site yet to be determined. The WBIT is a newly created 32-team postseason single-elimination tournament owned and sponsored by the NCAA. Now in its second year, the WBIT is the main alternate postseason tournament for teams that did not advance to March Madness.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with tickets available
here.
This is the third-straight postseason appearance for the Lumberjacks and the fourth in the last five years. Northern Arizona has made back-to-back WNIT appearances, earning its first berth in program history in 2022-23 where it fell at New Mexico in the first round. In 2023-24, the Lumberjacks earned a first-round bye before falling at South Dakota in the second round. In 2020-21, NAU secured a third-place finish in the WBI.
Northern Arizona is 26-7 on the year, finishing the regular season second in the Big Sky Conference standings with an overall record of 16-2. NAU's lone conference losses were to the regular season and tournament champions, Montana State. The 26 wins is the most in program history and the Lumberjacks earned their best league finish in school history as well.
The Wildcats finished the year 19-13 and 10-8 in their first season in the Big 12 Conference. Arizona last played on March 6 where it fell to Colorado in the Big 12 quarterfinals. Three players average double figures, led by Jada Williams with 12.7 points per game. Breya Cunningham adds 10.7 and Skylar Jones rounds things out with 10.3, with Cunningham leading the way with 6.9 rebounds per contest.
As a team, Arizona averages 67.9 points per game and holds opponents to 62.8. Defensively, the Wildcats force 18.8 turnovers on 10.2 steals per game. Behind the arc, UA averages 6.1 triples per game a 34.3 percent clip.
NAU and the Wildcats are no stranger to each other. Earlier this season on Nov. 20 at the Rolle Activity center, the Lumberjacks defeated Arizona 92-75. In the game, NAU erased a 16-point deficit and snapped a five-game losing streak to the in-state rivals.
Northern Arizona was held to just 23.5 percent from the field in the first quarter, allowing the Wildcats to go on a 14-0 run to lead 23-11 after the first. The Lumberjacks regrouped and exploded for 30 points in the second quarter, outscoring UA 30-to-15 to take a 41-38 lead into the half. Northern Arizona never gave the lead back to the Wildcats, leading for 25:34 of the game.
All six players that scored had double-digit performances, led by
Nyah Moran with 22 points.
Saniyah Neverson earned the second double-double of her career with 15 rebounds and 10 points.
Leia Beattie added 17 points while
Sophie Glancey (17 pts),
Olivia Moran (10 pts) and
Taylor Feldman (16 pts) rounded things out.
This will be the eighth meeting in the last eight seasons between the two, with Arizona winning five out of the last six and holding a 35-8 lead in the series. NAU has won just once in the McKale Center back in on Feb. 23, 1978 in a 69-65 decision. The Wildcats are 12-5 at home this year.
The Lumberjacks earned the No. 2 seed at the Big Sky Championships in Boise, Idaho, this past week where they advanced to their fourth-straight conference semifinal. NAU beat No. 8 seeded Sacramento State by a score of 69-65 in the semifinal before falling to No 6 Montana 71-67.
Sophie Glancey was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 22.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in hometown of Boise, Idaho.
Northern Arizona has won eight out of its last nine games and entered the tournament winning seven-straight.
Glancey, along with teammate
Taylor Feldman, earned a unanimous spot on the All-Big Sky first team. Glancey also earned All-Defensive team honors, and
Nyah Moran landed on the second team. Additionally,
Saniyah Neverson was named the league's Top Reserve of the Year.
The Lumberjacks are led by eighth-year head coach
Loree Payne who became NAU's all-time winningest coach this season, sitting at 135-114 during her time at the helm. As a team, NAU is fifth in the country in rebounds per game (43.15), seventh in defensive rebounds per game (30.0), ninth in three-point attempts per game (27.5), 13
th in scoring offense (79.6), 14
th in three-pointers per game (8.9), 16
th in free throws made per game (15.30) and 29
th in assist/turnover ratio (1.20).
Glancey is eighth in the country with 18 double-doubles on the year and leads the team with 18.3 points per game – scoring in double figures in 30 games this season. She also averages 9.6 rebounds per game and became NAU's single-season leader in rebounds with 316 on the season so far.
Feldman averages 16.2 points per game while dishing team-high 3.8 assists per game. She ranks 17
th in the country with 159 made free throws this season.
Nyah Moran made six three-pointers in the semifinal against Montana and averages 11.9 points per game.
For more information on the WBIT, click
here.
