Win Streak Snapped as Bengals Fall at Northern Arizona

Box Score PDF

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Bengals' three-game win streak was snapped Saturday evening as Idaho State fell 63-62 at Northern Arizona. ISU suffered a 4:20 scoring drought to finish the game paving the way for the 'Jacks to earn their second conference win.

Junior guard Freya Newton led ISU with a season-high 15 points to go along with six rebounds in a season-high 36 minutes of play. Junior guard Brooke Blair added 12 points, senior guard Apiphany Woods finished with 11 points and five assists and senior forward Anna Policicchio chipped in 10 points. Senior forward Tressa Lyman hauled in a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with six points.

Idaho State (10-9, 3-5 BSC) started the evening on a 9-0 run behind baskets from four different Bengals. Northern Arizona (6-14, 2-7 BSC) responded with a 12-3 run over the next 5:10 to force a 12-all tie heading into the second quarter.

Woods broke the tie just 10 seconds into the second, sinking a jumper to give the Bengals a small edge. However, a 7-0 run from the hosts put ISU behind by five with just over seven minutes remaining in the half. The Bengals fired back, gaining a five-point advantage following a 13-3 run fueled by four of Newton's eight first-half points. But the Bengals encountered another scoring drought, finishing the remainder of the quarter without a field goal. ISU headed into the locker room down by two, 33-31.

ISU tied it up once again less than 30 seconds into the third as Blair sunk a jumper for the 33-all tie. A trey by NAU's Alyssa Rader less than 30 seconds later gave NAU the three-point edge. Neither team gained more than a three-point advantage for the entirety of the third quarter until a three by Newton with four seconds left gave ISU a five-point advantage, 51-46 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Bengals extended that lead to seven following a layup from Policicchio at the 9:11 mark of the fourth. Northern Arizona cut the lead to four following four-straight free throws from Rader, but the Bengals fired back with a jumper from Blair to give them a six-point cushion, 58-52 with just over six minutes remaining.

An ISU jumper by Blair gave the Bengals an eight point lead with 4:20 remaining, but ISU went scoreless over the final 4:20 giving an opening to the Lumberjacks to close the gap. NAU scored nine straight to take the lead 63-62 with 26 seconds remaining. ISU's final attempt fell flat, ending the Bengal's win streak and giving the 'Jacks the one-point win.

The Lumberjacks were led by Rader with a game-high 23 points to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds. Taylor Leva and Catelyn Preston each added 11.

"You have to hand it to NAU," Head Coach Seton Sobolewski said. "They had some people step up and hit shots that don't normally score....Missed free throws and some bad decisions down the stretch hurt us."

The Bengals return home for the first time since Jan. 16 as they host North Dakota Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. at the ICCU Court at Reed Gym.