The latest injury news at the Skydome wasn't of the good variety.
Northern Arizona freshman guard Cedric Hill, who had his two best games of the season three weeks ago at the Skydome as the Lumberjacks beat Weber State and Idaho State, will be out four to six weeks with an avulsion fracture of the talus bone in his left ankle.
Hill injured himself against Sacramento State Saturday trying to defend Hornets guard Jason Harris. The injury was initially believed to be a second- or third-degree sprain, but X-rays taken Monday revealed the break.
So add Hill to the growing list of injuries for the Lumberjacks, who host Big Sky leading Portland State tonight at the Skydome. Already out are DeJuan Stevens (fractured jaw) and Will Hensley (spinal meningitis). At least center Kyle Landry, who was battling a severe calf bruise, reported Wednesday that he felt close to 100 percent.
"We are dropping like flies," NAU coach Mike Adras said. "It's a sad reality. But you've got to deal with it. You face adversity all the time in basketball and in life. How do you deal with it? You can look at it as half empty or half full. I choose to be half full."
How thin are the Lumberjacks? Adras looked to NAU football coach Jerome Souers to bolster the basketball roster. Kory Mahr, a redshirt freshman wide receiver who led the Lumberjacks in touchdown receptions, joined the hoops team Tuesday and will be on the bench tonight. He could provide some minutes at power forward, backing up Ruben Boykin, Jr.
"I just appreciate the fact that he's willing to come out at this point in the season and try to help out the basketball team," Adras said.
"I'm grateful for that. And if he works his way into the rotation, then I'm going to play him."
If Mahr can provide any sort of minutes, it will allow Stephen Garnett to move back to shooting guard and provide depth at that position.
NAU players head into tonight's game expecting to log a lot of minutes.
"You can't really think about it," NAU point guard Kyle Feuerbach said. "You've just got to go in focusing on what we want to accomplish on our side of it. Then, the rest of it will kind of fall into place."
Kelly Golob will start at two guard in place of Hill, and he could use a good game as a confidence booster. He was 5 of 16 from the field in last Saturday's loss at Sacramento State, and several of those missed shots were bunnies and jumpers from within five feet of the basket.
"Anytime he can develop a rhythm and get his confidence back, it would be a big help for us," Feuerbach said. "We already know he's fully capable. But a lot of it is just getting that mentality back."
The Vikings are 5-0 at home in Big Sky games and 1-2 on the road, with the only victory coming at Eastern Washington. Led by forward Seamus Boxley, who averages 19.5 points per game, Portland State hopes to pick up a road victory to keep pace with Montana State in the Big Sky standings. The Vikings lead MSU by one-half game, but MSU had five of its last seven conference games at home, while PSU plays four of six on the road.
The Vikings have played recently without top outside threat Jake Schroeder (stress fracture in foot), who scorched NAU for 23 points in PSU's 91-78 victory over the Lumberjacks in Portland last month. In his place, Antone Jarrell has moved into the starting lineup, and Tyler Hollist and Josh Neeley have seen more minutes.
The biggest concern for NAU is defending point guard Will Funn, one of the top assist men in the nation. He's averaging 7.6 helpers a game, and if he dictates the flow of the game, PSU can be difficult to stop.
"He's good," Feuerbach said. "You've got to try to contain his penetration and make him play from the outside. That would help."
Northern Arizona freshman guard Cedric Hill, who had his two best games of the season three weeks ago at the Skydome as the Lumberjacks beat Weber State and Idaho State, will be out four to six weeks with an avulsion fracture of the talus bone in his left ankle.
Hill injured himself against Sacramento State Saturday trying to defend Hornets guard Jason Harris. The injury was initially believed to be a second- or third-degree sprain, but X-rays taken Monday revealed the break.
So add Hill to the growing list of injuries for the Lumberjacks, who host Big Sky leading Portland State tonight at the Skydome. Already out are DeJuan Stevens (fractured jaw) and Will Hensley (spinal meningitis). At least center Kyle Landry, who was battling a severe calf bruise, reported Wednesday that he felt close to 100 percent.
"We are dropping like flies," NAU coach Mike Adras said. "It's a sad reality. But you've got to deal with it. You face adversity all the time in basketball and in life. How do you deal with it? You can look at it as half empty or half full. I choose to be half full."
How thin are the Lumberjacks? Adras looked to NAU football coach Jerome Souers to bolster the basketball roster. Kory Mahr, a redshirt freshman wide receiver who led the Lumberjacks in touchdown receptions, joined the hoops team Tuesday and will be on the bench tonight. He could provide some minutes at power forward, backing up Ruben Boykin, Jr.
"I just appreciate the fact that he's willing to come out at this point in the season and try to help out the basketball team," Adras said.
"I'm grateful for that. And if he works his way into the rotation, then I'm going to play him."
If Mahr can provide any sort of minutes, it will allow Stephen Garnett to move back to shooting guard and provide depth at that position.
NAU players head into tonight's game expecting to log a lot of minutes.
"You can't really think about it," NAU point guard Kyle Feuerbach said. "You've just got to go in focusing on what we want to accomplish on our side of it. Then, the rest of it will kind of fall into place."
Kelly Golob will start at two guard in place of Hill, and he could use a good game as a confidence booster. He was 5 of 16 from the field in last Saturday's loss at Sacramento State, and several of those missed shots were bunnies and jumpers from within five feet of the basket.
"Anytime he can develop a rhythm and get his confidence back, it would be a big help for us," Feuerbach said. "We already know he's fully capable. But a lot of it is just getting that mentality back."
The Vikings are 5-0 at home in Big Sky games and 1-2 on the road, with the only victory coming at Eastern Washington. Led by forward Seamus Boxley, who averages 19.5 points per game, Portland State hopes to pick up a road victory to keep pace with Montana State in the Big Sky standings. The Vikings lead MSU by one-half game, but MSU had five of its last seven conference games at home, while PSU plays four of six on the road.
The Vikings have played recently without top outside threat Jake Schroeder (stress fracture in foot), who scorched NAU for 23 points in PSU's 91-78 victory over the Lumberjacks in Portland last month. In his place, Antone Jarrell has moved into the starting lineup, and Tyler Hollist and Josh Neeley have seen more minutes.
The biggest concern for NAU is defending point guard Will Funn, one of the top assist men in the nation. He's averaging 7.6 helpers a game, and if he dictates the flow of the game, PSU can be difficult to stop.
"He's good," Feuerbach said. "You've got to try to contain his penetration and make him play from the outside. That would help."
