MOSCOW, Idaho – The Idaho men's basketball team fell late at Northern Arizona, 77-72, on Saturday afternoon. The Vandals (5-15, 1-8 BSC) were within two points with two minutes remaining, but the Lumberjacks (12-7, 6-4 BSC) secured the win with late free throws.

THE GAME
The Lumberjacks opened the scoring with an old-fashioned three-point play by Cameron Shelton. The home side remained in front with small lead until Trevon Allen's third three-pointer in a row tied things up, 13-13, with 14:43 remaining in the first. The first half overall featured seven ties and four lead changes, but NAU led, 41-38, after 20 minutes.
 
NAU scored the first four points of the second half before the Vandals got going with a Marquell Fraser offensive rebound and basket. With 6:13 to play, Shelton made a trey to put the Lumberjacks ahead by 10 points. Idaho responded with a 11-3 run to get back within two points, 67-65, when Scott Blakney scored with 2:09 left. Of the final 10 points Northern Arizona scored, six were free throws, as the home side edged out the Vandals, 77-72.
 
Alled led Idaho with 26 points, while Fraser had 13 points and six rebounds. Blakney chipped in 11 points.
 
THE NOTES
Idaho dished 17 assists in the game.
 
The Lumberjacks shot 38 free throws, while the Vandals made it to the charity stripe just 16 times.
 
NAU held a 39-33 rebounding edge over Idaho.
 
Allen led all players with 19 points in the first half.
 
Allen now has 1,106 career points, which is 15th in school history.
 
Keyshaad Dixon dished out six assists in the game. It was the sixth game this year that a Vandal has tallied at least five assists in a game.
 
Idaho is now 4-2 when reaching 70 points in a game this season.
 
This was the sixth conference game for the Vandals to be decided by five points or fewer.
 
Babacar Thiombane had his first career start. He finished the game with two points and three rebounds.
 
THE NAME
Trevon Allen. The senior led the Vandals in scoring for the 14th time this season. He had 19 points at the half, and made three-straight three-pointers early in the first half. His 26 points were the 11th time this year that Allen surpassed 20 points including 10 of the last 12 games.

THE QUOTES – Zac Claus
"All that's been going through my mind since Tuesday was can this group rally around each other and get their competitive sprit back … and they had it. They rallied around one another, they kept fighting … This group is so much fun to be around. They keep doing what we ask of them. We simply have to continue to do a couple more things just a little bit better."
 
"Every last one of us can do just a little bit more."
 
"I love the way Trevon was able to bounce back … He had a wonderful start to the game. He was taking shots in rhythm. We count on him for so much. We rely on him to score the ball and that's exactly what he did."
 
UP NEXT
The Vandals will play at Sacramento State on Monday, February 3. The game, the second of a three-game road trip, is scheduled to tipoff at 7:05 p.m.