Box score
POCATELLO, Idaho -- The Northern Arizona women's basketball team lost 64-54 to Idaho State on Thursday in the Lumberjacks' Big Sky opener.
Sophomore Amy Patton led NAU with 16 points in the loss.
NAU (5-9, 0-1 Big Sky) struggled offensively in the first half -- shooting 22.9 percent -- and was down 33-22 by halftime.
The Lumberjacks fought back in the second half with a 7-0 run midway through the period. They trimmed Idaho State's lead to two points at 50-48 with three minutes to play on a 3-pointer from sophomore Tyler Stephens-Jenkins. On the next possession, Idaho State's Kaela Oakes put the Bengals back up by four with a pair of free throws.
NAU cut the lead back to two with a layup from freshman Shay May with under two minutes to play. A pair of missed opportunities from the Lumberjacks and free throws from Idaho State put NAU down eight points with 40 seconds to play, and that was as close as it got.
May finished with 10 points for NAU, which shot 29 percent for the game but outrebounded the Bengals 45-41 and 18-6 on the offensive glass. The Lumberjacks' reserves outscored the Bengals' bench 15-4.
Idaho State's Kaela Oakes scored 21 points to lead all players, while Chelsea Pickering and Ashleigh Vella chipped in 14 points each.
