FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Interstat) — In a game defined by efficiency and a decisive late surge, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks snapped a four-game losing streak with an 81-77 victory over the Northern Colorado Bears in a Big Sky Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Walkup Skydome.

The contest, played before an announced crowd of 905, was a stark contrast in offensive execution. Northern Arizona, despite having three fewer possessions, leveraged near-flawless shooting and a significant advantage in free throws to secure the win and improve to 7-14 overall. Northern Colorado fell to 11-10.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the final minute, transforming a one-possession affair into a two-possession cushion for the home team. With Northern Arizona leading 75-72 and under 20 seconds remaining, Northern Colorado’s Ibu Yamazaki committed a turnover, which was stolen by Northern Arizona reserve Kavon Bradford. Fouled immediately, the freshman guard from Portland, Oregon, calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to 77-72 with 9 seconds left.

Northern Colorado’ Quinn Denker answered with a deep 3-pointer with 2 seconds remaining, cutting the deficit to 77-75. The Bears were forced to foul, sending Northern Arizona’s Ryan Abelman to the line. Abelman, a guard from Las Vegas, made both attempts to seal the outcome at 79-75. A last-second turnover and more free throws provided the final margin.

The game’s foundation, however, was built on Northern Arizona’s offensive precision throughout the night. The Lumberjacks shot a blistering 59% from the field (29 of 49) and 56% from 3-point range (9 of 16). They also attempted 19 free throws, making 14, compared to just seven attempts for the Bears, who made six.

Northern Colorado countered with volume shooting from beyond the arc, making 13 of 29 attempts, and won the rebounding battle decisively, 11-3 on the offensive glass. But 15 turnovers, leading to seven Northern Arizona steals, and the disparity in free throw opportunities proved too much to overcome.

Northern Arizona was propelled by a career-high performance from guard Chris Komin. The junior from Cypress, California, who had averaged just 5.7 points over his previous three games, erupted for 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range. He added three assists and two steals in 35 minutes, serving as the offensive catalyst.

Northern Colorado’s effort was led by its frontcourt. Brock Wisne, a 6-foot-9 forward from Thornton, Colorado, scored 18 points. Zach Bloch, a guard from Lawrence, Kansas, added 17 points, all but two of which came from beyond the arc, hitting 5 of 12 from deep. Quinn Denker of San Jose, California, contributed 16 points and five assists, and Ibu Yamazaki of Matsudo, Japan, chipped in 11 points.

The first half was a tightly contested affair, featuring eight ties and five lead changes. Northern Arizona took a narrow 38-36 lead into halftime after a jumper by Kavon Bradford in the closing seconds. The second half followed a similar pattern until the final five minutes. With the score tied at 67, Northern Arizona engineered an 8-0 run. It began with a Karl Poom jumper, followed by a 3-pointer from Diego Campisano of San Diego and a dunk from Traivar Jackson of Anchorage, Alaska, giving the Lumberjacks a 75-67 advantage with just over four minutes to play.

Northern Colorado, which entered the game as a heavy favorite according to predictive metrics, could not string together enough stops to complete the comeback, despite closing the gap to one possession twice in the final minute.

Jackson finished with 12 points, five assists and a block for Northern Arizona. Abelman had 12 points, all in the second half, and Campisano added nine points. For Northern Colorado, Ring Nyeri’s work on the boards was notable, as he grabbed multiple offensive rebounds to extend possessions.

The win provides a positive pivot for Northern Arizona as it prepares to host Eastern Washington on Thursday. Northern Colorado looks to regroup at home against Idaho on Thursday. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Greeley, Colorado, on Feb. 21.