Two Big Sky teams season was still going on entering Saturday night, but only one remains. Northern Arizona traveled to take on Sacramento State in the second round of the CIT, and they came away with the road victory for their 21st win of the season.
The final score was 78-73, and now Northern Arizona will advance to take on Eastern Kentucky in the next round, also on the road (according to what I have found, I have not seen this confirmed yet, as the matchups are determined after the previous round of games finishes).
Jordyn Martin was the Big Sky Defensive POY, but on this night, he was also the Jacks offensive star. He was 12/16 FG, finishing with 27 points and 6 rebounds. Quinton Upshur had 22 points himself, hitting three threes and finishing 9/11 from the line. The Jacks were 25/42 on their two-point attempts, scoring 1.20 PPP.
It is the final game in the excellent careers of Mikh McKinney and Dylan Garrity, who finished with 18 points each. And thus ends the best season in Hornets history. They finish 21-12, their first winning season since joining DI basketball. They won their first postseason game since 1962. They had an amazing run.
But for the Jacks, the season continues, and they move onto the quarterfinals of the CIT. They continue to lay the groundwork for the future of the program!
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Glad to see a hard working, blue collared team like NAU have success. Love their fight, their rebounding and their tough defense when they need it. Going into Sacramento and winning has not been easy for teams this season. I hope the Lumberjacks can keep it going...they have represented the Big Sky well.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Jordyn Martin is playing with extra motivation since being awarded Defensive Player of the Year.
ReplyDeleteHornets played solid for 26 minutes, and then poorly for the last 14. NAU wanted it more and finished strong and got the win. Hats off to them.
ReplyDeleteGreat season for the Hornets. I'm glad I got to see Garrity and McKinney live one last time. Damn good season, and I'm proud of what this team and coaches were able to do.
I can't tell you how much I look forward to never playing McKinney and Garrity again. Those two are money! Watch Sac State go from having a weak frontcourt to having a dominant one in the next year few years. They were young down low this year. They will also go from having the best backcourt in the conference to having just a good one. #1JacksFan
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