Lights play three in a row

Frontier Conference play is coming. And the Montana State University-Northern Lights are making a run at going into league play with an unblemished record.

But to do that, Northern must win three games before time runs out on 2016.

Tonight, the 11-0 Lights head north of the border to face a good University of Lethbridge team, then, MSU-N will come right back home to close out non-conference play with a pair of games against the University of Alberta-Augustana.

Northern will be heavily favored in all three games, due in large part to the fact the Lights are playing outstanding basketball and are coming off three wins in three days at last week’s Phoenix Classic. In that tournament, MSU-N bounced a pair of traditional NAIA powers in Warner-Pacific and William Jessup.

But the Lights are also unbeaten because they have a deep and talented roster that has led to absolute balance. Northern averages 97 points per game, but doesn’t have a single player scoring more than 12 per night. Ryan Reeves leads the way with 12 points and seven rebounds per game, while David Straughter and Tyler Chandler average 10 ppg each. From there, the contingent of Cameron Epps, Charles Porter, Dylan Tatarka, Badhasa Margarsa, Justin Dunsmore and William Walker give the Lights between seven and nine points per outing.

Of course, the Lights, who also shoot the 3-pointer as well as anybody in the Frontier right now, play defense, too. In fact, Northern is built around its stellar defense, which allows just under 57 points per night.

And it’s for those reasons that the Lights should be big favorites in all three games this week. Tonight’s game at Lethbridge, though, won’t be easy. The Pronghorns are 6-4 on the season, have played a host of tough Frontier teams this year, and, they have a veteran team with plenty of size.

So MSU-N won’t be taking its trip to Lethbridge lightly, and though Augustana will have trouble challenging the Lights the next two nights, Northern, being on the roll it is right now, certainly won’t let off the gas in either of those games.

"This may be the best Lethbridge group we have faced,” MSU-N head coach Shawn Huse said. “They have added more good players to their talented group, have very good size, have very good shooting, and move the ball very well on offense. It will be a very tough road test for us."

Tonight’s game between the Lights and Pronghorns tips at 7 in Lethbridge. The Lights host Augustana Thursday night at 8 p.m. and Friday at 2 p.m. inside the Armory Gymnasium. Northern then starts up Frontier Conference play next week with road games at UGF and nationally ranked Carroll College.