MOSCOW, Idaho -- Idaho closed the first half on a 22-0 run and pulled away from the Northern Arizona women's basketball, handing the Lumberjacks a 78-43 loss Thursday night.
NAU's record fell to 11-13 overall and 7-6 in conference play, dropping a spot in the Big Sky standings to sixth-place.
"It's about taking things one game at a time," NAU coach Sue Darling said. "We're really disappointed not even in the result, but in the way we played. We didn't play with the feeling that we're in charge of our own destiny and when we play well, we can beat anybody."
Senior Raven Anderson scored the Lumberjacks' first five points of the game and junior Monique Mulder's corner three-pointer gave NAU a 10-8 lead six minutes into the game. After Idaho scored the next six points, the Lumberjacks got a jumper from sophomore Rene Coggins and a free throw by sophomore Bradlee Cotton to slice Idaho's lead in half, 16-13, with 7:44 left in the first half.
From there, Idaho would close the half with 22 straight points while NAU struggled offensively missing its final nine shots of the half. The Lumberjacks shot just 17.9 percent in the first half and went into halftime trailing 38-13.
The Vandals' advantage proved to be insurmountable as their lead grew to as much as 40 points in the second half. NAU shot better in the second half from the field at 26.7 percent, but it was never able to overcome Idaho's devastating first half run.
Junior Madi Austin scored all 11 of her season-high points in the second half and was 3-of-6 from long distance. She also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, also the high mark of her Lumberjack career this season, to lead the 'Jacks.
Eleven of the 12 Lumberjacks registered a point in the loss, but Austin was the lone player to reach double-figures.
NAU shot just 22.4 percent and made just 13 field goals, both of which are season-low totals. Meanwhile Idaho shot 44.8 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Lumberjacks by a 53-34 margin. The Lumberjacks also turned the ball over 20 times which turned into 25 Vandal points.
