Nau Turns Back Cool-Shooting Eastern

Sun., Feb. 27, 2000

Men’s basketball

You can’t win them all, but you’ll have a hard time convincing Northern Arizona University of that statement since Jan. 15.

The Lumberjacks held serve at home with a 76-68 men’s basketball victory over Eastern Washington Saturday in a battle of winning streaks in the Walkup Skydome. The loss snapped Eastern’s six-game winning streak and extended NAU’s streak to 10.

Eastern remains atop the Big Sky Conference standings with an 11-3 mark, and still controls its own destiny with two games to play. If Eastern can win at home itself - beating beat Montana State on Thursday and Montana on Saturday - the Eagles will win their first regular-season title and host the Big Sky Tournament March 9-11.

An NCAA Tournament berth awaits the tournament winner.

Now 14-10 overall, Eastern clings to a one-game lead over Montana and NAU, both 10-4. The Grizzlies play at Portland State on Thursday. The Lumberjacks will play host to Sacramento State on Wednesday and Weber State on Friday.

Since tiebreakers go against the Eagles, Eastern needs to win two or get some help to win the regular-season title.

“We control our own destiny and have the fate of the league championship in our hands,” Eagles coach Steve Aggers said. “You can’t ask for anything better.”

Poor shooting hurt Eastern against NAU.

The Eagles made just 14 of 27 free-throw attempts and 22 of 59 field goals (37.3 percent). They shot better from 3-point range (10 of 25) than inside the arc (12 of 34).

Northern Arizona, on the other hand, made 42.9 percent of its field-goal tries, and converted 22 of 26 free throws.

“We just had a poor night offensively, but I think you have to credit their defense,” Aggers said. “They were the aggressor most of the night and very intense. They got into our shooters and had us off-balance.”

Remarkably, Eastern stayed close the second half to pull within 69-68 on a Ryan Hansen 3-pointer with 2:11 to play. But Lumberjack Adam Lopez made a driving jumper to boost NAU’s lead back to three, and the Eagles missed their final four shots from the field while the Lumberjacks were making 5 of 6 free throws in the last 30 seconds.

Ross Land, who scored 21 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, led NAU.

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Nau Turns Back Cool-Shooting Eastern

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

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