George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
The University of Montana Lady Griz basketball program is the standard by which all college programs in Montana are measured.’ For three decades now, the Lady Griz have dominated the Big Sky Conference, winning multiple Big Sky championships, playing in several NCAA women’s basketball tournaments, and producing legendary all-americans like Shannon Cate and current Lady Griz guard Mandy Morales. And this December, the Montana State University- Northern Skylights will get their chance to see just how they stack up against Montana’s premier women’s program. The Skylights, who went 16-13 overall last season and finished fo u r t h i n t h e Fr o n t i e r Conference, will meet the Lady Griz on Dec. 20 at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula. The Lady Griz are the defending Big Sky champions and they lost to Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA tournament back in March. Although MSU-N’s 2008-09 schedule isn’t complete as of yet, the game against UM will be one of two games against Division I opponents this year. MSU-N will also play at Utah State University on Nov.24 in Logan, Utah. “The game is just a great opportunity for our kids and our program, and we will approach it that way,” Mouat said. “Playing in an environment like Missoula against such a great team was something we couldn’t pass up.” “We really just want to take advantage of both of the opportunities we’ve been given to play Division I teams this year,” he added. “For us, it’s all about being ready for the Frontier Conference season, and games like this should go a long way toward that goal.” Mouat is entering his fourth season at MSU-N, and his teams aren’t strangers to D-I contests during the season. Since coming to MSU-N, Mouat’s teams have played games against Portland State in 2005, and Montana State in 2007. Both games were losses, but both games were very competitive, and Mouat believes that there are plenty of incentives for stepping up and tanking on a D-I opponent. “Games like these are always a great opportunity for our program. It’s always a tough test when you step up to the NCAA level, and both of the opponents we are playing in the 2008-2009 season will be huge challenges,” he said. “That being said, they are a great way to help prepare us for the Frontier Conference season. The environments will be tough, crowds will be big, and we will have to play at a high level to compete against D-I athletes. The games will also help give the Skylight program some very good exposure, especially in areas like Utah, where we do some junior college recruiting. “The games we have played against Portland State and Montana State have both been very good for us,” he added. “We got to play in great environments and against high-caliber athletes, and in both games, our kids played fairly well at times.” But taking on D-I opponents is one thing, playing the Lady Griz on their home floor is certainly another. In head coach Robin Selvig’s 30 years at UM, the Lady Griz have posted 28 winning seasons, 26 20-win seasons, 21 conference championships and 21 national tournament appearances, including 17 trips to the NCAA tournament. A remarkable run for any program, big or small. “In playing in Missoula, we are truly competing against one of the very best teams at the NCAA Division I level in the Western United States,” Mouat said. “Coach Selvig’s legacy there is truly amazing. He does a great job, largely wi th Montana kids, and he’s kept the program at a nationally-competitive level for over 30 years. I expect them to be extremely good, with a very strong nucleus coming back from last year’s NCAA tournament t eam. Without a doubt, this will be one of the toughest tests we’ve had in my time at MSU-Northern.” “The Lady Griz return a ton of talent and have had a great recruiting class,” he added. “Mandy Morales will probably go down as one of the best players to wear a Lady Griz uniform when it’s all said and done, and Sonya Rogers led the entire NCAA in 3-point accuracy. They have the whole package physical, strong posts and very good guards.” MSU-N’s foray into Missoula in December won’t be the first time a Skylight team has faced the Lady Griz, but it has been a while. Northern is 0-6 lifetime against UM starting with a 45-40 loss in Missoula in 1976. The Skylights also lost to the Lady Griz 66-34 later that same season. Selvig has faced MSU-N four times, starting with a 78-72 win over Northern in 1979, as well as a 62-41 victory over the Skylights earlier that same year. The two schools met twice in the 1980’s with the Lady Griz coming out on top 70-46 in 1980 and 69-47 in 1985. So this season’s matchup will be the first time the two programs have met in 23 years. “The game is just a great opportunity for our kids and our program, and we will approach it that way,” Mouat said. “Playing in an environment like Missoula against such a great team for was something we couldn’t pass up.”
