by Cody Bashore, NAU Athletic Communications
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (February 11, 2021) – Just a few days removed from a game-winning shot with only a few seconds left on the clock, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks found themselves fighting in the final moments again.
After taking a one-point lead on a pair free throws by Khiarica Rasheed with 18.5 seconds remaining, NAU went back down by two on a three-pointer by Portland State’s Jada Lewis. Trailing 75-73 with 2.1 left, the Lumberjacks (9-10, 7-8 Big Sky) missed their shot at the buzzer and the Vikings (7-7, 5-6) took the first of two games in Portland.
While NAU connected on 11 three-pointers in the game, five by JJ Nakai (Navajo) and four from Regan Schenck, it struggled inside the arc. Hitting 15-of-48 from two-point range, the Lumberjacks missed on multiple shots in the paint and off offensive rebounds.
“We were missing wide open layups,” said NAU head coach Loree Payne. “That’s frustrating, I felt like it was a pretty clean game and we have to be able to finish layups with minimal contact. We missed way too many easy, easy shots. We have to be able to knock those down; we left way too many easy shots out on the table.”
Following a back-and-forth first half, with neither side taking a lead of more than six points, the Lumberjacks slipped behind the Vikings for the first 13 minutes of the second half. Down by as many as 10, NAU rallied to open the fourth quarter.
A three-pointer by JJ Nakai opened the scoring, and connected on another shot from outside a minute and a half later to cut Portland State’s lead to 61-55.
The three started a 14-0 run by NAU, with Nakai adding a pair of free throws before Khiarica Rasheed put in a pair of layups, Jacey Bailey scored off a steal to tie the game and Miki’ala Maio dropped a three of her own.
Portland State immediately countered with their own 8-0 run, erasing NAU’s five point lead and putting the Lumberjacks in a 70-68 hole with three minutes remaining.
From there, the sides traded baskets as Maio put her team ahead 71-70 on another three before Desirae Hansen’s layup pushed the Vikings back ahead. Rasheed’s free throws and Lewis’ three closed out the scoring, as each side missed a shot from the field with the clock ticking down under 20 seconds.
As wild as the finish wound up being, it took a while for NAU to get going against Portland State. Committing three turnovers in the first 1:30 of the game, the Lumberjacks ended up with six in the first quarter and 14 overall.
Portland State scored eight of its 17 first-quarter points off NAU’s miscues, though the Lumberjacks managed to lead 19-17 after one. The shooting woes began in the second as NAU hit just 4-of-22 from the field in the quarter and went into the break trailing 35-32.
“We have to do a much better job of finishing down low and taking care of the ball, 14 turnovers is way too many to have,” Payne said.
Four Lumberjacks ended the night in double-figures, with Rasheed leading the team with 22 points and adding five rebounds. Nakai’s three-point shooting landed her final total at 19 on just 10 shots from the field, with Schenck adding 14 and Maio rounding out the group with 10.
