ARMORY REMATCHES: Skylights face rival Battlin' Bears, Bulldogs

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor

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For the third straight Friday night, the Montana State University-Northern Skylights are gunning for a bounce-back win. Only this time, the Skylights are trying to do it against a team which already handed them a loss this season.

The 14th-ranked Skylights (3-3, 14-3) will be looking to reverse its fortunes, not only from last Saturday night’s loss to Lewis-Clark State, but also from a Dec. 3 loss at the hands of Rocky Mountain College in Billings. The rematch with the Battlin’ Bears tips tonight at 6 in the Armory Gymnasium, while the Skylights close out their January home stand with a Frontier Conference tilt with the UM-Western Bulldogs on Saturday night in the Armory Gymnasium.

While both games will be difficult, as every game in the Frontier is, the Skylights certainly have their eye on the rematch with Rocky tonight. Last month, the Bears, who have spent time inside the NAIA Top 25, steamrolled Northern early and never looked back in a 76-58 victory, which was also MSU-N’s first loss of the season.

“What could go wrong, we made go wrong in that game,” said Northern head coach Chris Mouat. “We had too many turnovers, we missed a ton of shots at the rim and we got out-rebounded. They (RMC) played really good, and pretty much did a lot very right that night. So, the bottom line is, we have to play better. We have to pretty much do a 180 from that game.”

Northern has played very well in stretches since that forgettable night in Billings. Led by its usual stingy defense, and the 32 combined points per game from Natalee Faupel and Jacy Thompson, the Skylights, despite two tough losses at home in the last two weeks, are still as dangerous as ever. But, depth is also taking its toll with senior Rachelle Bennett out of the lineup with an injury, and that means MSU-N must get even more production from the post with Sierra Richards, Cydney Auzenne and Jessica Anderson, as well as timely shooting from the likes of point guard Molly Kreycik and backup guards Peyton Filius, Tina Doughty, Brandy Lambourne and Kate Fetterer.

And Northern will certainly need all that production tonight because Rocky is as good offensively as it gets in the Frontier. The Bears (4-2, 12-6) average 74 points per game, while only allowing 58, and they have a great inside-out combo in Whitney Mitchell (5-7) and Tenika Capouch (5-11), who are combining to score 30 points per outing this season. Add to that the the inside presence of Hailee Farvstreet (5-11) and Bridger Rice (6-0), as well as the leadership of Jayde Lefevre (5-7) and even without injured sharp-shooter Destiney Amezquita, the Bears are as talented a team as there is in the Frontier.

“They (Bears) are really dangerous on the perimeter,” Mouat said. “Whitney Mitchell can score from anywhere, and their shooters have range. They are just very, very formidable on the outside. Tanika (Capouch) is the most improved player in the league in my opinion. She is doing it all for them in the post. She is just tenacious. So, they are very balanced and very complete. They are a very good team and they are playing really well right now, so we know we have our hands full.”

The Skylights will indeed have their hands full tonight, but they’re also looking forward to making amends from the loss they suffered in Billings last month. But, that doesn’t mean Mouat and his club aren’t also concerned with Saturday night’s opponent too.

Western (1-6, 11-8) may not have many Frontier wins on its resume, but the Bulldogs are talented and dangerous, and the Skylights already know that from last month’s hard-fought, 52-48 win in Dillon. Western is yet another Frontier team which prides itself on defense, allowing just 58 points per night. However, the Dawgs have potent offensive weapons, too.

University of Montana Lady Griz transfer Molly Klinker (6-1) leads the way at 13 points per game, and with the return of Sierra Higheagle (5-10), Western has plenty of firepower, including Anise Palmore (5-9) and freshman Frankie Bignell (5-9). So, in no way is Western any type of pushover or automatic win.

“Far from it,” Mouat said. “They have tons of pieces. They are playing very well. They have been through a rough stretch of games, but they’ll come in here and do their thing. We expect them to play very well.

“(Molly) Kilnker is a scary matchup,” he continued. “She is tough in the post, but she will step out and rip it from three. And Sierra Higheagle is getting double figures again this season, and overall, they are just a very talented team.”

Of course, playing talented teams is nothing new to the Skylights. And with six straight games on the road looming, they know they need to take care of business in the Armory this weekend, even though it won’t be an easy task.

“Both teams are very well coached, both teams play very smart,” Mouat said. “And both teams have all the pieces to come in here and be successful. So this is a big weekend for us, and one where we need to make sure we play very well.”

Tonight’s game between Northern and RMC tips off at 6, while Saturday’s showdown between the Lights and Bulldogs also tips off at 6 p.m. Northern will then head out on the road for its next six Frontier Conference games, starting with next weekend’s trips to UGF and Carroll College.