Editor’s Note: Information in this story was contributed by the NAU athletic department

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Sophomore guard Caty Huntington scored 21 points for Northern Arizona women’s basketball during its 71-62 win over Siena on Friday at the NAU Thanksgiving Classic. The Lumberjacks picked up their first win of the season and at the Rolle Activity Center on Saturday.
NAU (1-5) and Siena (0-4) played even in the first half after both teams proved capable of scoring in bunches. The Saints put up a 10-0 run midway through the period while the Lumberjacks answered with a 9-0 run to close the half tying the score 25-25.

Head Coach Laurie Kelly expresses her displeasure on a foul against one of the women's basketball players during the game against Siena College on Friday night. Matt Beaty / The Lumberjack

“We started to feel good about the game,” Huntington said going into halftime and coming out strong in the second. “We were ready to make adjustments and get that first win.”

The score remained close early in the second half but Huntington and freshman guard Amy Patton combined for 14 of the 17 points NAU would score unanswered after trailing 36-33 with 15:32 left. The Lumberjacks took a comfortable 50-36 lead during the 17-0 run which lasted just under four minutes.

Siena cut the lead to five late in the game, but NAU managed to hold the Saints off down the stretch.

After five consecutive road games, the Lumberjacks turned in a bounce-back performance after suffering a 32-point loss to New Mexico on Tuesday.

“We felt so happy to be back at home,” Huntington said. “Even though the students were not here we had all of our family here. They really helped support us. We tried to play our best for them. We played more as a team tonight and showed up playing hard together.”

Huntington led all scorers on 7-of-11 shooting and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Patton recorded her second double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Junior forward Jenna Galloway chipped in with 12 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the year.

Siena was led by Merrick Volpe’s 14 points and Allie Lindemann’s 12 rounding out the game’s double-digit scorers.

The Lumberjacks shot just 34.4-percent from the field in the first half but rebounded in the final 20 minutes shooting 48.1-percent. NAU finished at 40.7-percent for the game, its fifth game in six tries shooting over 40-percent.

“We watched them a little bit,” said Huntington of Oregon State who defeated Belmont 76-52 in the early game on Friday. “They look like a very good team, but we have confidence in ourselves. This is our tournament and we are going to be ready to play.”

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Amy Patton posted her second double-double for the second night in a row as North Arizona women’s basketball fell in the NAU Thanksgiving Classic championship game 62-33 to Oregon State at the Rolle Activity Center on Saturday. Patton and Jenna Galloway were selected all-tournament team.

NAU guard Caty Huntington tries to squeeze through two Oregon State players. Matt Beaty / The Lumberjack

NAU (1-6) was in early foul trouble with the Lumberjacks’ two top scorers from Friday’s win over Siena, Patton and Caty Huntington, picking up two fouls a piece in the first five minutes of play. The Lumberjacks shot just 24.0-percent in the first half scoring a season-low 13 points.

NAU struggled inside being outscored 14-0 on second-chance points in the first 20 minutes. Oregon State (4-1) entered halftime with a 21-point lead at 34-13.

The Lumberjacks played Oregon State closer in the second half cutting the Beaver lead to 15 points with an 11-3 run to open the final period of play. Oregon State answered immediately with a 12-2 run of its own keeping its lead above 20 for the remainder of the game.

Oregon State received a boost from its reserves outscoring the Lumberjacks 22-6 in bench scoring. The Beavers’ Julie Butch chipped in eight points off the bench which helped her pick up all-tournament honors.

The Lumberjacks kept the Thanksgiving Classic’s Most Valuable Player Talisa Rhea in check limiting her to six points on 3-of-13 shooting after she posted a tournament-high 25 points in Oregon State’s 76-52 win over Belmont on Friday.

NAU shot 34.6-percent from the field in the second half finishing at 29.4-percent for the game. Patton totaled a team-high 14 points with 10 rebounds, her third double-double of the year. Galloway added eight points with five rebounds after recording her first double-double this season with 12 points and 10 rebounds on Friday.

The Lumberjacks will be back on the hardcourt next Friday, December 5 against Arkansas State at 3:35 p.m. at the Rolle Activity Center. Following Arkansas State, NAU will have one more home game on Thursday, December 10 against San Diego before hitting the road for four more road games prior to the conference season starting up in January.

Head Coach Laurie Kelly talks to the women's basketball team during a timeout on Friday in the game against Siena College. Matt Beaty / The Lumberjack