BOZEMAN, Mont. (Interstat) — Two teams looking to find consistency will meet Saturday when the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks visit the Montana State Bobcats in a Big Sky Conference men’s basketball matchup.

Both teams enter with identical 6-8 overall records, though Montana State holds a 1-0 conference advantage after its 78-64 win over Northern Arizona in Missoula on Thursday. The Lumberjacks will seek to avoid an 0-2 start to league play in the rematch at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.

Northern Arizona has struggled on the road this season, dropping its last five games away from Flagstaff. That skid includes Thursday’s loss at Montana, where despite 13 points from Ryan Abelman and 10 from Chris Komin, the Lumberjacks fell by 14. Forward Traivar Jackson, a key player for NAU, contributed eight points and a block in 27 minutes in that contest. Jackson’s production has fluctuated, with a 11-point outing in a blowout win over Benedictine Mesa on Dec. 29 but scoring five points or fewer in four of his last six games.

Montana State returns to action after a long holiday break, having not played since a 93-54 rout of Northwest on Dec. 22. In that game, Jeremiah Davis posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Davis has been a steady presence, scoring in double figures in three of his last four contests, including an 11-point performance in a tight road win at Cal Poly on Dec. 16.

The Bobcats have shown resilience in close games, with two of their six wins coming by three points or fewer. Northern Arizona, meanwhile, has endured tough luck with four losses by six points or less, including a one-point defeat at North Dakota State on Dec. 6.

Saturday’s game will be the conference home opener for Montana State, which looks to build momentum before a challenging road trip to Eastern Washington and Idaho next week. Northern Arizona aims to salvage a split on its Montana road swing before returning home to host Weber State on Jan. 8.

The matchup tips off at 2 p.m. MST Saturday at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.