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Frontier play begins for Lights, Skylights

Northern hoops travels to Montana Tech, LC State for league openers

For the second year in a row, Frontier Conference men's and women's basketball will feature each team playing each other three times during conference play.

For the Montana State University-Northern men and women, the merry-go-round starts this weekend as the Lights and Skylights open league play with road games at Montana Tech tonight, and Lewis-Clark State Saturday night.

For the No. 16 Skylights, this weekend's games mark the start of Northern's march to try and get back to the NAIA national tournament for the fourth straight season. And going head-to-head with defending Frontier champion Lewis-Clark State will be a big step in that direction.

First, however, Northern (7-1) must deal with Montana Tech (6-5) in tonight's Frontier opener. The Skylights, led by the double-digit scoring of Natalee Faupel and Jacy Thompson, as well as steady point guard Molly Kreycik and the inside play of Sierra Richards, are coming off their toughest two games of the season - a split at last weekend's Rotary Classic in Jackson, Tennessee. And those games certainly helped Northern get ready for what it's about to face in conference play.

"The competition we saw in Tennessee was the biggest thing," MSU-N head coach Chris Mouat said. "You can travel to a lot of places and not get that level of competition. So that was really good for us with these first two conference games coming up."

And while the Skylights and Warriors will certainly have a battle Saturday night, Mouat is focused solely on the upstart Orediggers right now. Tech may be picked to finish in the middle of the Frontier this season, but, with stars like Martha Dembek (17 ppg), standout point guard Hattie Thatcher, transfer Monica Landdeck and Fairfield sisters Kourtney and Kaylynn Coverdell, as while as the inside presence of Rachel Ferris, the Skylights can't afford to overlook the 'Diggers.

"Montana Tech is a very explosive team," Mouat said. "They play very fast and push it in transition whenever they can. They are a good shooting team and are as dangerous as anyone in our league when they get hot. Hattie Thatcher is really their engine and she does a great job for them.  She hits shots, rebounds, and finds the open person. Martha Dembek has also become a very proven player in our league.  She shoots the 3, takes it to the rim, and rebounds extremely well for them.  As a team, they play very hard and run offense that suits them very well.  Carly (Sanon) has really done a great job with the program, and they are going to be a team who makes noise in our league."

While the Orediggers present plenty of challenges for the Skylights, who swept Tech a season ago, no matchups this season will be more highly-anticipated than the three games MSU-N and LC State play.

The Warriors come into Saturday night's game a perfect 11-0 and ranked No. 7 in the NAIA. They average 90 ppg and allow just 54 and they have a lethal guard-tandem combo in Caelyn Orlandi and Brittany Tackett. The Warriors have five players in double figures and as always, are very hard to beat at home.

"They (Warriors) were picked to win the league, and deservedly so," Mouat said.  "They have beaten some of the best teams in the country. If a national poll came out this week, they would have to be in consideration for the number one team in the nation. They are just so talented and experienced and have kids that can hurt you across the board. They are also deeper than last year's Elite 8 team.  They are filled with talent, and it starts with Caelyn Orlandi, a second team All-American last season.  She can literally do it all. As a team, they are shooting it really well from the three and they are always a strong defensive and rebounding team. They are just very complete."

The Skylights are pretty complete, too, which should make for an exciting game Saturday. And overall, it's an exciting weekend for Northern as MSU-N doesn't return to conference play until early January.

"Both Tech and Lewis-Clark State present multiple challenges for us," Mouat said. "Both teams are very talented and well-coached, and they have been playing good basketball all season. Lewis-Clark has some huge wins on their resume, as does Montana Tech. They have both played some very talented basketball teams to this point, and we know both are big challenges for our team."

Hot Start

Like the Skylights, the Northern men are off to a great start this season. The Lights are a perfect 5-0, but, they also haven't been tested. Northern has won its games by an average of 30 points, and there's no doubt, that will change with trips to Tech and LC State this weekend.

And while both games will be tough, Northern has shown itself to be very formidable thus far. Offensively, the Lights average 111 ppg, tops in the league and are shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc. But Northern is also balanced. Ryan Reeves leads in scoring at just 13 ppg., while David Straughter averages 11. After that, MSU-N gets between eight and nine points per game from eight different players, meaning the Lights have developed some excellent offensive depth to go with their tenacious defense, which allows just 54 points per night.

"Things are going to get a lot more difficult now," Northern head man Shawn Huse said. "But I like where we are. I feel good about where we're at as a team. We growing, we're improving, and we're ready for the challenges that lie ahead."

The challenges start with tonight's game in Butte. Tech (6-3) was picked to finish last in the Frontier this season, but with standout returners like John Chapman, Lucas Vining and Flemming Okeke, the Orediggers will always be a formidable foe.

"They (Diggers) have a lot of returning experience," Huse said. "You have to really disrupt what they try to do offensively, and on the other end, you have to be patient and take what you can get offensively. Plus, Tech always presents a big challenge on their home floor."

Playing in Butte is tough, but no challenge in the Frontier is bigger than a trip to LC State. The Warriors (8-2) are a league favorite, they are loaded with talent and they're ranked No. 15 in the country. They also have one of the best players in the league in lanky guard Doug McDaniel, who leads the Frontier in scoring at 19 ppg. McDaniel doesn't stand alone though, as he's got a tall, powerful and deep supporting cast. And, with the Warriors' pressure offense and defense, life is tough for opposing teams.

"They (Warriors) have great athleticism, they are big, but they're well-balanced," Huse said. "They have already shown that they are going to be a very tough team this year, with some of the big wins they've already had.

"When you play them," he continued. "You have to play smart, because they can put points on the board really fast. You just have to go in there and play a well-rounded game against a team like that because you know they will."

And that's what the Lights are looking to do – play their two best games thus far, and get Frontier play off on the right foot.

"These are two big challenges on the road," Huse said. "They are big games for our young team, and we'll definitely know where we're at and where we need to go after these two games."

Tonight's doubleheader between Northern and Tech tips off with the women at 5:30 with the men to play at 7:30 in Butte. Saturday night, the Skylights play at LC State at 4:30 p.m. with the Lights and Warriors to tip at 6:30 p.m.

 

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