Northern Arizona men’s basketball (17-14, 8-10 Big Sky) is preparing for the conference tournament in Boise, Idaho, where it will take on Eastern Washington (10-21, 6-12 Big Sky) on Saturday in Idaho Central Arena.
The seventh-seeded Lumberjacks swept the No. 8-seeded Eagles this season. On Feb. 22, the Lumberjacks won, 87-67, in Flagstaff, and on Jan. 23 they topped them 70-61 in Cheney, Washington.
kAm%9:D H:== 36 E96 7:CDE >66E:?8 324< :? q@:D6 D:?46 a_ab[ H96C6 }@] h\D66565 }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 <?@4<65 E@A\D66565 t2DE6C? (2D9:?8E@? @FE H:E9 2? g`\g_ FAD6E]k^Am
kAm}@CE96C? pC:K@?2VD `f H:?D E9:D D62D@? >2C<D E96 >@DE F?56C 9625 4@249 $92?6 qFC42C]k^Am
kAmqFC42C :D 962565 :?E@ E96 E@FC?2>6?E 2D 2 7:?2=:DE 7@C E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^4@==686:?D:56C]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm4@==686:?D:56C]4@>k^2m a_ac\ad $<:A !C@DD6C |2? @7 E96 *62C 2H2C5[ H9:49 9@?@CD E9@D6 H9@ 249:6G6 DF446DD @? E96 4@FCE 2?5 5:DA=2J >@C2= :?E68C:EJ]k^Am
kAm}@CE96C? pC:K@?2VD r2CD@? %@HE :D 4@>:?8 @77 2 3:8 7:?2= H66< @7 E96 C68F=2C D62D@?[ C64@C5:?8 7@FC DE62=D[ `c C63@F?5D 2?5 ?:?6 A@:?ED :? $2EFC52JVD =@DD E@ }@CE96C? r@=@C25@] ~? |@?52J[ D9@E `__T 7C@> E96 7:6=5 @? `` 2EE6>AED] w6 C64@C565 2 42C66C\9:89 ac A@:?ED 2?5 C64@C565 9:D `hE9 5@F3=6\5@F3=6 @7 E96 D62D@? H:E9 `a C63@F?5D]k^Am
kAm%@HE =625D E96 ?2E:@? 2E `a C63@F?5D A6C 82>6[ H9:=6 D:EE:?8 7:G6 D9J @7 3C62<:?8 }@CE96C? pC:K@?2VD 2==\E:>6 C64@C5 \\ D6E 2E `[_cc 3J s2? qFEECF> :? `hea]k^Am
kAm%C6?E |4{2F89=:? 9:E `_ b\A@:?E6CD 4@>3:?65 :? E96 {F>36C;24<DV =2DE E9C66 82>6D] w6 D9@E dd]eT 7C@> 36J@?5 E96 2C4 7@C 2 E@E2= @7 fh A@:?ED :? E92E DA2?] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm|4{2F89=:? 92D 25565 ``_ C63@F?5D[ `_g 2DD:DED[ 2?5 dd DE62=D E@ 9:D C6DF>6 E9:D D62D@?[ =625:?8 E96 q:8 $<J H:E9 ege E@E2= A@:?ED] w6 :D @?6 @7 EH@ A=2J6CD :? E96 =628F6 E@ C64@C5 e__\A=FD A@:?ED E9:D D62D@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmy2J56? y24<D@? 2G6C2865 `c A@:?ED A6C 82>6 E9C@F89 E96 {F>36C;24<DV =2DE E9C66 >66E:?8D] w6 D9@E dd]eT 7C@> E96 7:6=5 @? af 2EE6>AED] y24<D@? =625D E96 E62> :? 2DD:DED[ 2G6C28:?8 b]e 2 ?:89E] #J2? p36=>2? 92D DE6AA65 FA 7@C }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 2?5 DE2CE65 :? E96 =2DE E9C66 82>6D] w6 A@DE65 D6G6? bD[ D9@@E:?8 dg]bT 7C@> 36J@?5 E96 2C4 2?5 2G6C2865 b_]f >:?FE6D A6C 82>6]k^Am
kAmt2DE6C? (2D9:?8E@? :D 9625:?8 :?E@ E96 E@FC?2>6?E @? 2 7:G6\82>6 =@D:?8 DEC62<] %96 t28=6D D9@E cd]hT 7C@> E96 7:6=5 E9C@F89 E96 D62D@? 2?5 ah]`T 7C@> 36J@?5 E96 2C4 :? E96:C =2DE E9C66 82>6D] t2DE6C? (2D9:?8E@?’D p?5C6H r@@< 2G6C286D `e A@:?ED A6C 82>6[ 7@==@H65 3J `b]e 7C@> |2D@? (:==:2>D 2?5 `_]g 7C@> }:4 |4r=2:?]k^Am
k9cm|6?’D E6??:Dk^9cm
kAm}@CE96C? pC:K@?2 We\d[ `\_ q:8 $<JX 5C@AA65 2 >2E49 282:?DE $E] y@9?’D[ c\b[ @? %9FCD52J :? %F4D@?]k^Am
kAms@F3=6D A2CE?6CD !:@EC v2=FD 2?5 s2?: %@CC6D H@? E96 {F>36C;24<DV =@?6 5@F3=6D >2E49 @7 E96 52J[ A:4<:?8 FA 2 e\b G:4E@CJ 2E E96 }@] a DA@E] y2<F3 !C2492C 2?5 y2<F3 '@=6D<J 76== E@ $E] y@9?VD }@] ` A2:C:?8[ 2?5 $6>6? p8J?D<JJ 2?5 %2<F>: z2EDF52 76== 2E E96 }@] b]k^Am
kAmpE E96 E@A @7 E96 D:?8=6D =:?6FA[ %@CC6D 62C?65 2 e\c[ e\a G:4E@CJ @G6C |2I p>=:?8] p8J?D<JJ H2D E96 @?=J @E96C {F>36C;24< E@ A:4< FA 2 DEC2:89E\D6E G:4E@CJ[ 62C?:?8 2 e\c[ e\a 7:?:D9 2E E96 }@] d 4@FCE] %2<F>: z2EDF52 32EE=65 9:D H2J E9C@F89 2 e\`[ b\e[ f\d G:4E@CJ 2E }@] e @G6C #J@E2 z2?652]k^Am
kAm}@CE96C? pC:K@?2 EC2G6=65 E@ pC:K@?2 @? uC:52J]k^Am
k9cmu@@E32==k^9cm
kAmy2>6D u@C2?[ 5:C64E@C @7 E649?@=@8J 2E }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 &?:G6CD:EJ[ 92D 366? ?2>65 E96 ur$^pE\{2C86 ':56@ r@@C5:?2E@C @7 E96 *62C 7@C E96 D64@?5 4@?D64FE:G6 D62D@?[ 2??@F?465 3J E96 r@==68:2E6 $A@CED ':56@ pDD@4:2E:@? :? u63CF2CJ]k^Am
kAm%9:D :D E96 E9:C5 ur$^pE\{2C86 ':56@ r@@C5:?2E@C @7 E96 *62C 2H2C5 7@C u@C2?[ H9@ H2D 2=D@ 9@?@C65 :? E96 a_`c\`d 2?5 a_ab\ac D62D@?D]k^Am
kAmu@C2? :D 6?E6C:?8 9:D `dE9 D62D@? =625:?8 E96 G:56@ 677@CED 7@C }@CE96C? pC:K@?2VD 7@@E32== AC@8C2>] w6 2?5 9:D DE277 2C6 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 2== E649?@=@8J ?665D[ :?4=F5:?8 7:=> 24BF:D:E:@? @7 AC24E:46D[ 82>6D 2?5 @AA@?6?ED[ 2?5 >2?28:?8 E96 4=@F5\32D65 %9F?56C4=@F5 G:56@ ?6EH@C<D FD65 3J 4@2496D 2?5 A=2J6CD E@ H2E49 7:=> 2?5 AC6A2C6 7@C 4@>A6E:E:@?]k^Am
kAmx? a_ac[ 96 @G6CD2H E96 :>A=6>6?E2E:@? @7 E96 v2>6$EC2E DJDE6> 7@C E96 G:6H:?8 @7 :?\82>6 G:56@ 3J E96 7@@E32== AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm~FED:56 @7 E96 7@@E32== AC@8C2>[ u@C2? 2=D@ EC2:?D 2?5 DFA6CG:D6D 2 DE277 @7 DEF56?ED E92E D9@@E 2== 7@@E32== AC24E:46D 2?5 82>6D[ >6?VD 2?5 H@>6?VD 32D<6E32== 9@>6 82>6D 2?5 9@>6 D@446C >2E496D]k^Am