Skylights lose a tight one in Frontier chipper

The Montana State University Northern women's basketball team gave its all in the Frontier Conference championship game, but still, it wasn't enough to beat the Lewis and Clark State Warriors.

The Skylights certainly didn't make it easy for the second-ranked Warriors to take home the Frontier Conference Championship, but a tough shooting stretch in the fourth quarter, in which No. 12 MSU-N didn't score for nearly six minutes, was costly, and LC State held on for the 57-50 win Monday night in Lewiston, Idaho. It's the Skylights second runner-up finish in the Frontier in the last three seasons.

The loss was the fourth of the season for the Skylights against LC State, but even after the defeat, Northern should earn an at-large berth into the NAIA National tournament. The official announcement comes Wednesday.

"The girls are excited to go into the national tournament," Mouat said. "But I don't think tonight is going to help us at all unless we learn to make more shots. We can do it, we have done it, we just need to do a better job."

The Skylights, who knocked off UM-Western Friday night in the semifinals to reach the championship game, started hot Monday as Jacy Thompson opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and after five points from Natalee Faupel, MSU-N led 8-4.

Faupel made another trey later in the stanza, as well as another jump shot that put the Skylights in front 18-14 at the end of the first. In the second, Northern continued its strong play as Cydney Auzenne banked home a an old-fashioned 3-point play, increasing the lead to five.

The Warriors responded with an 8-1 run to go ahead by two. Faupel made two jumpers to keep Northern even, before LC State managed to pull ahead by one at halftime 33-32.

When the two teams returned to the floor, the Skylights again started off in a flurry as Auzenne knocked down a trey, followed by Molly Kreycik, who also hit from deep with 6:45 left in the third quarter, to put the Skylights up 38-33. However, a 8-2 run by the Warriors to close the quarter, put LC State up 41-40.

But as they had done all night long, the Warriors answered with a run. This time, they reeled off nine straight points as Jossilyn Blackman scored to put them up 52-46. Northern added a free throw but wouldn't score again from the field until there was 22 seconds left, as Shiloh McCormick hit a three. After a drought that lasted nearly six minutes, it got Northern within four, but two free throws by LC State and a miss by the Skylights on the other end, sealed their fate.

Faupel led the way for the Skylights with 17 points and also grabbed 12 rebounds. Auzenne added 10 for Northern, while Thompson pitched in with eight and Kreycik had seven. Caelyn Orlandi led LC State with 16 points. Blackman also contributed with 13, while the Skylights did a great job, holding LCSC star Brittany Tackett to kust nine points.

Northern is a strong bet to earn an at-large berth into the NAIA National tournament which starts March 15 in Billings. The bracket will be announced Wednesday.