By By the Daily News Staff - It wasn't pretty, but first games never are. The Montana State University-Northern women's basketball team opened its season with an 80-67 win over the University of Regina Sunday at the MSU-Northern gymnasium.
Newcomer Jaci Heny scored a game-high 25 points, including 13-13 shooting from the free-throw line, to lead the Skylights.
Northern dominated inside. Senior center Megan Valgardson scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while frontcourt mates Michele VanDyke and DeLayne Johnston added 14 and 13 points, respectively. Johnston also grabbed 11 of Northern's 42 rebounds.
Northern broke open an eight-point game late in the second half, as Heny nailed a three-pointer and sank four consecutive free throws.
As a team, Northern shot 45 percent from the field and was a perfect 18-18 from the free-throw line in the second half.
Regina, which was playing its third game in three days, got 19 points each from Jana Schweitzer and Lara Carpenter.
The Skylights will be off until Oct. 22, when they host Brandon University for a pair of games.
UNIVERSITY OF REGINA (67)
Laura Hunko 0- 3-4 3; Danny Ash 1-3 1-1 3; Jana Schweitzer 8-19 2-7 19; Lara Schmidt 7-11 3-4 19; Leah Anderson 1- 2-7 4; Chelsey Cassano 2-4 0-0 4; Emily Ross 1-3 2-4 4; Megan Cherkas 0-1 0-0 0; Mallory Loire 2-4 1-3 5; Leane Phillips 1-3 0-0 2; Rebecca Schmidt 0-0 1-1 1; Meryl Jordan 1-3 0-0 3. Totals: 24-61 15-27 67
MSU-NORTHERN (80)
Michele VanDyke 7-12 0-0 14; Megan Valgardson 6-13 8-10 20; Jaci Heny 5-9 13-13 25; Kristie Pullin 1-3 1-3 3; Camille Gardner 1-3 2-2 5; Jessi Reome 0-1 0-0 0; DeLayne Johnston 3-8 7-8 13; Jena Heggem 0-2 0-0 0; Ashley Trulock 0-0 0-2 0. Totals: 23-51 31-38 80.
Three-point goals: REG 4-12 (Ash 0-2, Schweitzer 1-5, Schmidt 2-2, Cherkas 0-1, Jordan 1-2), MSU-N 3-9 (Heny 2-3, Pullin 0-2, Gardner 1-2, Reome 0-1, Heggem 0-1). Rebounds: REG 30 (Cassano 7); MSU-N 42(Valgardson 11, Johnston 11) Assists: REG 14 (Schweitzer 4); MSU-N 17 (Heny 5). Turnovers: REG 19, MSU-N 26. Total fouls: REG 29, MSU-N 23. Fouled out - Anderson, Cassano, VanDyke, Valgardson; Technicals - none.
