Lumberjack Hoops Sets Kick Off 2024-25 Campaign Hosts Park-Gilbert Monday – Northern Arizona University Athletics

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona (November 2, 2024) – Wrapping up the 2024-25 season on Monday, the Lumberjacks will look to start the season 1-0 as NAU hosts the Park-Gilbert Buccaneers at the Rolle Activity Center for a 6:00 PM MST start.

Monday night’s game is the Jacks’ first home game of the 2018 season, where NAU recorded a 97-82 victory over Jacksonville. NAU was picked fifth in both the preseason coaches and media polls, marking the Jacks’ highest landing since 2015, when NAU was picked to finish fourth in both polls, while jumping up three spots from last seasons.

NAU’s five newcomers, four transfers and one true freshman, will have their first opportunity to debut with the Blue and Gold on Monday night. Monty Bowser, Dylan Baker, Ali Ragab, Lee Rickwood-Pittand Tyler Hutton all will be entering their first season with the Jacks as the team looks forward to some key returns from injury.

Carson Tout and Jack Withersill will look to capitalize on their late-season return from injury in the 2023-24 season. Tout’s return marks his first time on the court since the 2022-23 campaign, where he started all 35 games for the Jacks, led the team in rebounds, assists and blocks while third in points, finishing all with a Big Sky All-Tournament selection. As a freshman, Wistrcill saw the court in all 35 contests, scoring a career-high 14 points at Utah Valley.

Northern Arizona is coming off a 14-19 (.424) record, closing the season with a 7-11 record in the Big Sky Conference. As a team, NAU shot 43.8 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from three-point range, led by To Trent McLaughlin 74 made 3-pointers. Returning the most punts in the league, McLaughlin was named the Big Sky Preseason MVP last week, as announced by the conference office.

McLaughlin finished the 2023-24 campaign as the fourth leading scorer in the league, leading the Jacks with 16.6 points per game. One of only five players in the conference to score 550+ points last season, McLaughlin scored his 500th point in a thrilling double-overtime win at Idaho State to close out the regular season. With 1,151 minutes in 32 starts and 33 appearances, McLaughlin earned his first Big Sky all-conference honors, becoming the first Lumberjack named to the team since the 2020 season.

Park-Gilbert is coming off a 12-16 record during last year’s campaign, closing Cal Pac play on a three-game winning streak with wins against Simpson, Cal Maritime and Pacific Union College. The Buccaneers are led by Gordon Stubblefield, who enters his seventh season at the helm of the Park-Gilbert program. The team shot 42.5 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three-point range last season.

The Buccaneers opened the 2024-25 campaign on Friday night with a 111-65 loss to Nelson University, which the Jacks will host at the Rolle Activity Center on Friday night. Park’s Caleb Geisendorfer led the team with 18 points and 9 rebounds in 28 minutes on the floor. Isaiah Williams, off the bench, had 17 points on eight field goals. As a team, the Buccaneers went 24-of-50 from the floor, just 2-for-9 on 3-pointers.

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