No. 7 Northern Arizona
vs. No. 2 Weber State
Thursday, March 14, 3 P.M.
Dahlberg Arena, Missoula, Mont.
Internet: Big Sky TV
Coaches: Northern Arizona’s Jack Murphy is in his first season at NAU and his first as a collegiate head coach. He spent the previous three seasons as an assistant at Memphis, and was an advanced scout for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA prior to Memphis. Murphy led NAU to an 8-12 mark in the Big Sky and 11-20 overall record…Weber State’s Randy Rahe has compiled a 144-73 overall record in seven seasons. He is 92-24 in Big Sky games. His 144 wins ranks ninth all time in Big Sky history. Rahe is 6-5 in Big Sky tournament games. His teams have played in the championship in 2007, 2010 and 2012. The Wildcats have advanced to at least the semifinals in six straight seasons. Prior to coaching at Weber State, Rahe was an assistant at Utah, Utah State and Colorado State.
What’s Next: The winner advances to a Friday semifinal. If Northern Arizona wins, the Lumberjacks will face No. 1 Montana.
Season Series: Weber State won both regular season meetings. The Wildcats won in Ogden 83-70 on Jan. 17. Kyle Tresnak scored 23 points with eight rebounds. Joel Bolomboy scored 13 points with 13 rebounds and five blocks off the bench. Max Jacobsen led NAU with 18 points. Weber State survived the rematch in Flagstaff, 80-78 in overtime on March 2. Weber State trailed by seven with 1:08 in regulation before rallying. Davion Berry scored 25 points and Scott Bamforth added 20 in the win. Gabe Rogers netted 25 points in the loss. Jacobsen and DeWayne Russell each scored 17 points for the Lumberjacks.
Meetings in Championship: This will be the sixth meeting between the Lumberjacks and Wildcats in the Big Sky Championship. WSU is 5-1. NAU won 75-70 in a 2008 semifinal at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.. Weber State beat NAU in the championship games in 1979, 1999 and 2007. In 1976, the first year of the Big Sky Tournament, Weber State beat NAU 63-58 in a semifinal. This is the first meeting between the two in a game prior to the semifinals.
Notes: Since losing to NAU in the 2008 semifinals, Weber State has won 10 straight over the Lumberjacks…NAU’s Gabe Rogers is averaging 22.8 points per game over his last 14 games...WSU enters on an 11-game winning streak. The Wildcats haven’t lost since a 76-74 setback to Montana at Dahlberg Arena on Jan. 26...Since 1997, Northern Arizona has appeared in the Big Sky Championship 14 times...Weber State has 37 tournament wins, more than any other team in league history. Weber State has missed the tournament just twice - 1981 and 2006...WSU leads the Big Sky in scoring offense at 75.8 points per game. NAU is 11th in scoring defense at 75.1 points per game...NAU last advanced to the semifinals in 2011...Weber State leads the nation in field-goal percentage, 3-point field-goal percentage, and 3-point field-goal percentage defense.