Junior Shane Johannsen dunks over Southwestern’s Nick Sheffield on Nov. 13 in the Rolle Activity Center. Johannsen’s 18 points and 9 rebounds helped NAU win the game, 113-61. The Lumberjacks will take on Pacific University in the Rolle Activity Center tonight (Nov. 19) at 6:35 p.m. as part of the West Coast Classic. Matt Beaty / The Lumberjack

Junior guards Eric Platt and Cameron Jones headlined the opening weekend for the NAU men’s basketball team as each tallied career-high point totals against in-state opponents Southwestern College (Ariz.) and UA.

NAU opened its regular season on Nov. 13 by hosting Southwestern, who began a new era of athletic competition as it recently moved into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Lumberjacks cruised to a 113-61 victory and Platt led the Jacks in scoring with 26 points. Platt scorched the nets in the Rolle Activity Center, shooting 7-10 from beyond the arch, and guards Julian Olubuyi and Gabe Rogers made their Lumberjack debut with 10 assists apiece.

After the first victory of the young season, the Lumberjacks traveled to Tucson to challenge Arizona in the McHale Center. UA jumped out to an early lead and did not let up, handing NAU an 87-70 loss. The Wildcats were NAU’s first Division I opponent this season

In front of 13,448 screaming fans, Arizona sank their first four shots, all of which were in the paint. Jones, senior forward Nick Larson and junior forward Shane Johannsen all received two personal fouls in the first eight minutes of the game, sidelining them for most of the first half.

“The early foul trouble really put us on our heels,” said head coach Mike Adras. “Having to play guys extended minutes because their partner was in foul trouble really hurt us. [Arizona was] ready to go and jumped us early, and we could not get on our toes.”

At halftime, the Lumberjacks faced a 51-31 deficit. UA recorded 26 points in the paint and beat NAU on both sides of the transition game.

“We weren’t stopping [Nic] Wise and [Lamont] Jones, and they were able to move the ball up the court quickly,” Jones said. “When we figured out we needed to stop the point guards, our defense ran a lot more smoothly, and we were able to shut down their transition game in the second half.”

NAU outscored the Wildcats 39-36 in the final 20 minutes, executing an efficient half-court defense. The Jacks’ defense held UA’s shooters to a 38.7 shot percentage from the field and 1-11 from 3-point range. The Jacks also racked up three blocks and forced eight turnovers in the second half.

“In the second half, we competed, and I was much more pleased with our play,” Adras said. “Maybe Arizona was the better team, but at least we accomplished things that will help us move along this season.”

NAU's Josh Lepley goes for a dunk during the game against the Southwestern College Eagles on Nov, 13. NAU won 113-61. Matt Beaty / The Lumberjack

Though Adras saw a positive performace from his squad, junior forward DeAngelo Jones said a loss is still a loss, no matter who you play.

“Honestly, the loss didn’t feel good at all,” Jones said. “We had bright spots, and we want to build on those and take them to the next step. We’ll take this loss, throw it behind us, and just move forward and build on everything we did well, correcting our mistakes along the way.”

One of those bright spots was Cameron Jones’ 29 points on 12-16 shooting. Redshirt freshman guard Gabe Rogers was the only other Lumberjack to score in double figures with his 11 points.

“I just play my game and think nothing can go wrong,” Jones said. “You have to play with confidence.”

Jones kept his hot hand when the Jacks returned to Flagstaff. The sophomore scored 23 points in NAU’s 65-59 loss on Nov. 17 to Fresno State in the first game of the West Coast Classic.

NAU looks to capture their second home win and first win of the classic on Nov. 19 against Pacific University of Forest Grove, Ore. hosting Fresno State on Nov. 17 and Pacific on Nov. 19.

Junior Cameron Jones looks for a path through Southwestern College players on Nov. 13 in the Rolle Activity Center. Matt Beaty / The Lumberjack