March 11, 2006
Box Score
Pocatello, ID -- Balance was the key for Northern Arizona, which got double-figure scoring from four players and dominated both ends of the court en route to a 74-59 victory over Weber State in the championship game of the 2006 Big Sky Conference Women's Postseason Basketball Tournament.
Third-seeded NAU (22-10) became the first team not seeded in the top two to win the tournament, and along the way tied the school record for wins. It was the first Big Sky title for the Lumberjacks. Weber State (15-15) was the first fifth seed to fight its way into the championship game.
Center Alyssa Wahl led the Lumberjacks in scoring with 19 points, followed closely by guard Kim Winkfield with 17, forward Nicky Eason with 14, and reserve forward Sandra Viksryte with 12. NAU out-scored Weber 34-18 in the paint, and made nine of 13 shots from behind the arc. Winkfield hit five treys and Wahl three.
Guards Chelsey Warburton and Laura Porter topped Weber State's scoring with 14 each and center Shantee Releford added 13.
Northern Arizona's defense was important. The Lumberjacks made 12 steals, four by Wahl, forced 23 Wildcat turnovers, and scored 21 points off of turnovers.
Frosh point guard Sade Cunningham's court presence was also a key for NAU. She scored six points, but more importantly dealt out 11 assists and committed no turnovers.
NAU led just 28-25 at halftime, lengthened the margin to 52-42 with 9:20 left, and put the game away with an 11-0 run over the next 4:02. Eason, who capped the run with an old-fashioned three-point play, scored all of her points in the second half. The biggest lead was 71-49.
The All-tournament team included Wahl, Eason, and Winkfield from NAU, Releford and Warburton from Weber State, and Natalie Doma from Idaho State. Wahl was selected the Most Valuable Player.
