Coming in with a three-game winning streak, the NAU men’s basketball team did not let up against visiting Montana State, defeating the Bobcats 71-58 at the Walkup Skydome Jan. 28.

The Lumberjacks started the game on a 9-0 run and held the advantage through the first half, leading 33-13 at the break. The Jacks shot 12-26 from the floor in the half, including 6-12 from behind the 3-point line, and held the MSU offense to 5-31 shooting in the first 20 minutes. The 13 total first-half points were three shy of the school record for fewest points allowed in a half, set against Idaho State in the 1975-76 season.

Sophomore finance major Corbin Gillespie holds up a larger-than-life cutout of Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Adras during the matchup against Montana State last Thursday night. Members of The Jack Pack wore shirts with the logo 'Adras Animals' while they cheered on the basketball team to a 71-58 victory over Montana State. Matt Beaty / The Lumberjack

“That was a picture-perfect start,” said junior guard Cameron Jones. “We were coming out to our home crowd to prove we’re a good team.”

In the second half, the Bobcats started to slowly claw their way back into the game, even though the score did not seem to indicate a comeback.

“I think it’s very hard to play with a big lead like that because complacency can set in,” said head coach Mike Adras.

But a series of key shots, highlighted by junior forward DeAngelo Jones’ four-point play with 11:03 to go, seemed to put away any dreams of a comeback by the Bobcats.

“It feels good to be back,” DeAngelo Jones said. “I missed playing with my teammates.”

Cameron Jones finished with 22 points, and DeAngelo Jones added 13 — all off the bench — for the Jacks.

Two days later, the Lumberjacks took on the visiting Montana Grizzlies in a critical match-up as far as conference standings were concerned. The Grizzlies took the victory, routing the Jacks 84-64 and endingNAU’s four-game winning streak.

UM started quickly, racing out to a 9-2 lead with just 2:06 elapsed in the game. However, the Jacks got back into the contest and took a 30-29 lead at the midway point, courtesy of strong bench and interior play.

The second half was a much different story, as the Grizzlies’ Anthony Johnson got hot from the field, converting 8-9 shots in the half for 25 points, finishing with 28 points for the game after making only one shot in the first half.

“[Anthony Johnson] decided to take over,” Adras said. “We didn’t have anybody that wanted to defend him.”

In the second half, the Lumberjacks were outscored 55-34, largely due to Johnson’s play and an inability of the Jacks’ offense to solve a consistent zone defense employed by the Grizzlies.

“They probably wanted it more than us in the second half,” Cameron Jones said. “We’ve got to learn how to pick ourselves up.”

The next contest for the Lumberjacks is a road match-up against the Northern Colorado Bears, who have lost only one game at home all season.

“We have to move forward,” Cameron Jones said. “Teams are winning, and we have to keep winning too to make the tournament.”