Despite 24 points from junior guard Cameron Jones, the NAU men's basketball team fell to Weber State for the second time this season, 76-66, Friday night in Ogden Utah.
The Lumberjacks committed 19 turnovers in the loss.
"I thought the tougher team won the ball game tonight," coach Mike Adras said. "They played more physical than we did and that really bothered us. A couple guys showed up to play and a couple did not show up to play."
Weber State (16-8, 10-2 Big Sky Conference) defeated NAU earlier this season with a similar storyline with a 21-6 run midway through the second half for an 87-62 victory at the Walkup Skydome.
NAU (11-12, 5-7) fought back into the game with a strong start in the second half, cutting the deficit to four points at 42-38 on a 10-0 run. Weber State answered with back-to-back three pointers by Damian Lillard and Nick Hansen.
It sparked a 14-0 run and the Wildcats led by 18 points just as quick as the Lumberjacks had cut the lead with their run.
NAU never got any closer than 10 points the rest of the game as Weber State swept the regular season series with the Lumberjacks for the second consecutive season.
"I thought we defended pretty well except for the turnovers that resulted in breakaway layups," Adras said. "It hurt us. Again it was not being able to contain penetration."
Jones had four rebounds and four steals to go with his 24 points. DeAngelo Jones added 12 points and Josh Lepley contributed 11.
Lillard and Franklin Session combined for 48 points against the Jacks. Lillard had a game-high 26 points with five assists, while Session scored 22 points with eight steals, the best single-game total in a Big Sky game this season.
"Damian Lillard took over for them," Adras said. "It is big to have a guy who hits shots for you when your team is rattled and needs a play. He made play after play. The difference was the two guards, Lillard and Session. Not only offensively but we handed the ball over too many times."
NAU shot 55 percent from the field with five 3-pointers, while Weber State converted 51 percent with 10 3-pointers and 16 steals. The Wildcats scored 25 points off the 19 NAU turnovers in the contest.
"You can not win when you turn the ball over 19 times," Adras said.
NAU trailed 37-28 at the half after committing 11 turnovers in the opening period with the help of 11 steals by the Wildcats. Cameron Jones scored 16 points in the first half, hitting 7-for-11 shots. The Jacks led early in the contest but Weber State built a 10-point lead 10 minutes into the game. NAU cut the lead to 25-24 but was out-scored 12-4 over the final seven minutes of the half that included a 12-0 run by the Wildcats.
NAU traveled to Pocatello, Idaho after the game and will face the Bengals today. Idaho State lost to Northern Colorado Friday night 68-59, entering Saturday's game with a 6-18 overall record and 3-9 in Big Sky play.
"It is a must game for them and a must game for us," Adras said. "There is no other way to describe it. Hopefully we are ready to play and salvage the road trip."
