By Rob Everingham
BILLINGS -- It was a tough one as the MSU-Northern Skylights fell to Rocky Mountain 71-66 on Saturday night.
The game opened the Frontier Conference season for the Skylights.
Northern's, and the Frontier Conference's, leading scorer Jana Smith finished the game with just four points as she received 11 to 15 stitches around her eye.
Skylights head coach Ray Peters said Smith was tripped unintentionally and hit the floor head first. Doctors at the game patched Smith up on the floor, but would not let her return due to blood loss.
From that point, the Bears dominated and opened up a 38-29 halftime lead.
The Skylights fought back in the second and got the lead, but committed some turnovers down the stretch and missed a couple of shots that let Rocky back into the game.
Northern's Laura Munson and Abby Hjorth led the way with 15 points apiece.
The Skylights were outrebounded 44-28 in the game.
Peters said he is very pleased with how his team came out. He said they had their opportunities at the end to win the game and it is a shame they did not pull out the win.
Also, Peters said, he was very pleased with his post players. After Munson fouled out, Peters said, Lynn Kansteiner came in and got some key buckets for the Skylights.
Peters also said Hjorth had a great game both offensively and defensively.
The Skylights open their home conference season Thursday night against nationally-ranked and league leading Lewis-Clark State.
Peters said Smith gets her stitches out on Thursday and will hopefully be able to play Thursday night.
"L-C State is as good as we were last year and it is a situation where we will have our work cut out," Peters said. "If we don't have Jana, it will be a real tough battle for us."
MSU-Northern
66
Rocky Mountain
71
MSU-N -- Noel 4-8 0-0 9; Hjorth 5-12 5-6 15; Smith 1-1 2-3 4; Munson 6-10 3-3 15; Dunn 4-8 0-3 8; Fabatz 1-9 2-2 5; Young 0-1 0-0 0; Burgmaier 1-4 0-0 2; Kansteiner 3-5 2-4 8. Totals: 25-58 14-21 66.
Rocky Mountain -- Sparing 0-0 0-0 0; Bergum 0-2 2-2 2; Walton 2-6 0-0 4; Simonson 4-8 10-15 18; Gerber 4-10 0-0 9; Heggem 4-8 0-0 8; Megyesi 4-9 6-6 14; Lieberg 4-6 0-2 12; DeRudder 0-1 0-0 0; Totals: 24-56 22-30 71.
Halftime: Rocky 38, MSU-Northern 29. Three-pointers: MSU-N 2-9 (Noel 1-1, Fabatz 1-5, Hjorth 0-1, Young 0-1, Burgmaier 0-1); Rocky 1-7 (Walton 0-1, Lieberg 0-2, Simonson 1-3, Gerber 0-1); Rebounds: MSU-N 28 (Hjorth 6); Rocky 44 (Walton 6); Assists: MSU-N 28 (Hjorth 6); Rocky 11 (Heggem 3, Simonson 3); Turnovers: MSU-N 17, Rocky 14. Total fouls: MSU-N 25, Rocky 16. Fouled out: Munson, Dunn
