Stuckey’s 45 points not enough

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Eastern Washington University freshman Rodney Stuckey scored a school-record 45 points Thursday, but Tyrone Bazy scored 27 points to pace six Northern Arizona players in double figures as the Lumberjacks’ men’s basketball team won 105-95 in the Big Sky Conference opener for both.

NAU opened the second half with 17-8 run to take a 59-50 lead.

Kelly Golob finished with 20 points for NAU (9-6), while Ruben Boykin Jr. added 17, Josh Wilson 14, and Steven Sir and Ryan McCurdy 10 each.

Golob ranks ninth in the Big Sky’s all-time scoring list with 1,292 career points.

EWU (5-9) allowed the most points in its last 207 games.

Stuckey made 15 of his 21 shots from the field, including five 3-pointers, as Eastern made 56 percent of its shots from the field, but NAU shot 66 percent from the floor.

Stuckey’s performance equaled the 12th-best in Big Sky history, and the most since Idaho’s Orlando Lightfoot scored 50 against Gonzaga in 1993.

The 45 points mark the best single-game performance in the nation this season. Stuckey surpassed the 43 points Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison had against both Michigan State and Washington.

Paul Butorac added 17 points for the Eagles and Deuce Smith had 12.