Men’s Basketball Opens Season Friday Against Southwestern College

Men's Basketball Game Notes vs. Southwestern College

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona University men’s basketball is opening the season Friday at 6:35 p.m. against Southwestern College at the Rolle Activity Center. The Lumberjacks play four games in seven days to open the season, including three home games. Fans bringing two cans of food will get free admission to the game with all collections going to the Northern Arizona Food Bank.

“Southwestern is a team whose pace is 100 miles per hour,” said Head Coach Mike Adras, who is entering his 11th season. “They are attacking the basket with dribble penetration and shooting three-pointers as quick as they can get them up. It will be very entertaining.”

NAU has had one exhibition game in preparation for the season, losing 75-65 to Fort Lewis College last Friday. Junior Shane Johannsen had a game-high 20 points and nine rebounds against the Skyhawks.

“I feel we have a considerable size advantage and we are going to have to take advantage of that,” said Adras.

Southwestern College is a regionally accredited evangelical Christian college in Phoenix, Ariz.. The Eagles are entering into a new era of competition with entrance into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) this season.

Head Coach Mike Adras enters the season fifth all-time with 158 career wins on the Big Sky Conference coaching charts, trailing former Weber State head coach Joe Cravens by one win entering the game on Friday for fourth-place all-time.

The game can also be seen on Universityhouse (Dish Network 9411) and heard on the Sodexo Lumberjack Radio Network in Flagstaff (KAFF AM 930). The game can also be seen and heard on Big Sky Television at www.bigskytv.org.

Southwestern College represented the first of four games in the first week for the Lumberjacks. NAU travel to Arizona on Sunday in a regionally televised game against the Wildcats on FS Arizona.