The Southern Utah University men’s basketball team ended their first game after a week of rest with a 76-74 loss to Northern Arizona University. The close match-up was decided by a game-winning, buzzer-beating putback by NAU’s Jayden Jackson. The result keeps the Lumberjacks undefeated at home and the Thunderbirds winless on the road.
“We found our way to win at the end. With our young men fighting and communicating, we have become the program we are, and we’re going to continue to focus on the game ahead after enjoying this one,” said Lumberjack head coach Shane Burcar.
The score was close the whole way, with nine tied scores and 13 lead changes in the game. The biggest lead by either team was when Northern Arizona had a nine-point edge with 10 minutes remaining.
Both teams shared the ball nicely, each matching or beating their total for most assists in a game this season. Southern Utah put up 16, led by junior Dominique Ford who had a career-high five assists, dating back to his time with both the University of Idaho and the College of Southern Nevada. NAU’s Liam Lloyd and Oakland Fort matched Ford’s five, helping to build the team’s total to 21.
Eight players scored double-digit points in the afternoon, with five from SUU and three from NAU. Ford and Lumberjack junior Trent McLaughlin led all scorers with 19 points apiece.
The first half mostly saw the teams trade shots. Neither team scored more than seven points straight, and they tied for that longest streak. Parsa Fallah took the reins for the Thunderbird offense by scoring 12 points, six of which came after he brought in an offensive rebound. Lloyd nearly reached Fallah’s total, putting up 11 points in the half for the Lumberjacks.
Southern Utah attempted five more shots in the first half than Northern Arizona but made one less. After a tough fight, NAU led 40-39 at the break.
The Lumberjacks went on a 10-0 run early in the second half to start gaining the advantage. They made exactly half of their shots in the period while holding the Thunderbirds to 38.9% from the field. The odds weighed heavily in NAU’s favor once they reached their nine-point lead, but Southern Utah battled back to tie it with just five seconds left, courtesy of a Braden Housley three-pointer.
Following a missed shot by Fort, Jackson tipped it in at the buzzer to seal the deal for the Lumberjacks and crush the Thunderbirds’ hopes of an overtime opportunity.
“We have to be better defensively, that’s all there is to it,” said Southern Utah head coach Rob Jeter. “We can’t expect to win ball games when we consistently allow teams to shoot over 50% and give up 76 points.”
Notable stats
— Fallah’s 15-point, 12-rebound performance gave him SUU’s first double-double this season.
— SUU outrebounded NAU 39-33, including 13-5 on offensive rebounds.
— In his Thunderbird debut, junior Jamari Sibley put up 15 points while collecting seven rebounds and three steals.
— Lloyd matched his career high of 16 points in a single game.
— NAU has now been outrebounded in nine of their 11 games.
— Dating back to 1988, SUU is now 19-16 against NAU all-time.
Up next
The Thunderbirds will stay on the road and head to Montana State University for a Dec. 19 matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.
Author: Anden Garfield
Photographer: Anden Garfield
sports@suunews.net