NAU women picked ninth in Big Sky polls

Published Oct. 18, 2012 1:45 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Both the Big Sky coaches and media members have selected the NAU women’s basketball team to finish ninth in the newly expanded Big Sky conference this season. The Lumberjacks, who return three starters and 10 letter winners, were picked ahead of Weber State and new Big Sky member Southern Utah in both polls.

Defending Big Sky regular-season and postseason champion Idaho State was picked to repeat as conference champion and had eight first-place votes in both polls. Northern Colorado was picked second, followed by Montana and Montana State.

With the conference expanded to 11 teams the Big Sky Championship, which will be hosted by the regular-season champion and take place March 14-16, will now include seven teams rather than six, with the top seed earning a bye into the semifinal round.

NAU finished 9-20 last season and missed the Big Sky championship for the third consecutive year, but the Lumberjacks return a seasoned squad. That group includes four seniors, including three time All-Big Sky second team selection Amy Patton, who is on pace to break the NAU career scoring record during her senior season. Three more of NAU’s top five scorers from last season are also back for 2013-13 in seniors Aubrey Davis and Tyler Stephens-Jenkins and junior Amanda Frost.

The team will play its first season under new head coach Sue Darling, who comes to NAU after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach at Arizona. Darling has 27 years of basketball coaching experience, including stints as an assistant at both Arizona and Arizona State and three years as the head coach at Air Force.

The team opens its season on Nov. 9 at New Mexico before its home opener vs. CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 12.

share