their turnover ratio has been incredible...
Lumberjacks looking to get back on winning track
NAU will aim to end the non-conference portion of its schedule with a bang when it takes on host Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo at 8:05 p.m. tonight.
The Lumberjacks, who open Big Sky Conference play at home against Sacramento State on Dec. 28, fell to 5-5 on the season with Saturday's 101-86 loss at Pepperdine on Saturday.
That game marked the second time this season NAU allowed an opponent to score in triple digits. The first was a 101-79 defeat at the hands of Arizona in Tucson on Nov. 15. It's also the first time in Jacks coach Mike Adras' eight-year tenure as head coach that an NAU men's team gave up two 100-plus point games.
Cal Poly (4-4) enters the game losers of two straight, but is unbeaten in three games at home.
Junior guard Dawin Whiten is one of two Mustangs to average double-figure scoring at 13.1 points per game. Derek Stockalper, a senior guard/forward, averages 11.1 ppg.
On the average, Cal Poly's been both outscored (69.6 ppg-69.4 ppg) and outrebounded (35.9 rpg-35.5 rpg) this season.
With four players scoring in double figures every time out, led by Ruben Boykin Jr.'s 15 ppg, NAU's second in the Big Sky in scoring at 80.2 ppg.
The Jacks are next to last in scoring defense, though at 81.2 ppg.
TURNOVER TROUBLE
NAU's 28 turnovers in its loss to Pepperdine was the second most by a Big Sky team this season and only six less than the school record of 33 set in an 84-74 win over Georgia State in the 1990-91 season.
Northern Colorado's 33 turnovers in its 90-58 loss at Purdue on Nov. 13 was tops in the league as of Monday.
NAU's 24 turnovers in its 106-72 win over Haskell Indian Nations University on Dec. 9 is the sixth-highest by a league team this season.
BUCKING A TREND
Prior to Saturday's loss, the Jacks were 5-0 when they shot more than 45 percent for the field.
NAU scorched the net for 58 percent, but that couldn't make up for its overabundance of turnovers as Pepperdine put 30 points on the board off the Jacks' miscues.
