FLAGSTAFF - Tyler Stephens-Jenkins 3-point shot with 33 seconds left put Northern Arizona women's basketball up for good as the Lumberjacks eked out a 61-57 win over Binghamton at the Hilton Garden Inn NAU Thanksgiving Tournament on Friday. The victory was the 100th win at NAU for head coach Laurie Kelly.
"This was an important win for us and we face another tough team in Drake tomorrow," said Kelly, who began her head coaching career with in Binghamton. "We didn't play our best game, but we pulled out the victory."
NAU (3-2) hit 5 of 12 3-pointers in the first half, three from Amy Patton, and went into halftime up 10 points. The Lumberjacks worked their lead to as many as 15 points, but the Bearcats began their comeback at the 11-minute mark and tied the game at 55.
After a timeout, Stephens-Jenkins broke the tie with her 3-pointer. Patton and Vickie Toney hit free throws in the closing seconds to secue the NAU win.
Patton finished with a game-high 23 points. Katie Pratt added 13 and Jenna Galloway scored 11. The Lumberjacks shot 39 percent while Binghamton shot 47 percent, but NAU outshot the Bearcats 8-3 from 3-point range.
The Lumberjacks play Drake at 4:35 p.m. at the Rolle Activity Center in the championship game. Drake defeated Central Michigan 90-70 in the opening game of the tournament.
