FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- The Northern Arizona women's basketball team opens its 2013-14 season and year two of the Sue Darling era at 3 p.m. on Sunday versus Hawaii. The game can be seen live on FOX Sports Arizona.
It will be the first time the Lumberjacks will play their season opener at home since 2007.
The Lumberjacks are coming off an 8-21 season in which they posted a 7-13 record in Big Sky play in Darling's first season in charge of NAU's women's basketball program. With a young roster headlined by three returners -- senior Amanda Frost and juniors Raven Anderson and Erikka Banks -- this year's Lumberjacks want to prove everyone wrong after being voted 10th in the Big Sky preseason polls by both the coaches and media.
Frost averaged 9.9 points per game last season, while Banks averaged 5.1 rebounds.
Hawaii, which opens its season on Friday night in Tempe against Arizona State, returns nine players from a team that went 17-14 last year and 13-5 in the Big West Conference. Senior Kamila Jackson was an All-Big West first-team selection after averaging 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Senior Sydney Haydel was the Big West Defensive Player of the Year.
"We're excited to play on Sunday," Darling said. "The first game is a huge game and we've been practicing for a long time. We want to approach Sunday in a focused manner. Hawaii is a really solid team and they're real experienced. They're a little more seasoned than we are, so it's going to be a really good test for us and I'm excited for it."
NAU's roster features 10 newcomers and eight freshmen. Freshman Rene Coggins of Mesa and Taylor Leyva of Pueblo, Colo., are expected to be in the starting lineup.
