2017 Frontier Conference Women's Basketball Preview

There are some really good conferences in NAIA Division I women’s basketball. But over the next two months, it will be hard to find anything better than what will take place in the Frontier Conference.

The league is one that has sent an average of four teams to the NAIA national tournament, per year over the last four. And, this season, it might be more. Yes, Lewis-Clark State, along with UGF, MSU-Northern and Carroll College are top heavy, but, the Frontier doesn’t have a single team that probably couldn’t challenge for the league crown, or win games at the national tournament.

There’s also boatloads of individual talent, like reigning Player of the Year Natalee Faupel, Brittany Tackett at LCSC, Cassidy Hashley at Carroll, Nneka Nnadi at UGF and Hattie Thatcher at Montana Tech to name a few. In fact, there are so many good players in the Frontier, they could make up an All-American squad with players just from this league.

And then there’s the intrigue of the national tourney itself. For the first time, the Frontier (Rocky Mountain College) is the host of the national tournament, as it comes to the Rimrock Auto Arena at Metra Park in Billings this March. That means one Frontier school the Battlin’ Bears are already in, and that means the competitiveness of conference play, and the conference tournament, just got raised up a couple more notches.

No, this season could be the most competitive, the most entertaining and the most intriguing year in Frontier women’s history. In fact, from top to bottom, the league has never been like this before, and the next two months are going to be a knock down, drag out, fight to the finish.

Here’s a look at the Frontier Conference team-by-team, in its predicted order of finish according to the Frontier Preseason Coaches Poll.

Lewis-Clark State

Warriors

2016-17: 15-0, 3-0, Ranked No. 2

2015-16: 27-7, 14-4, Frontier Champions, lost in NAIA Elite 8

Head Coach: Brian Orr, 16th Season

Location: Lewiston, Idaho

Outlook: The Warriors already appear to be the team to beat in the Frontier. A team that won both the Frontier regular season and tournament title a year ago, LCSC has now risen to the No. 2 team in the NAIA Poll. Led by forward Brittany Tackett (6-0) and point guard Caelyn Orlandi (5-9), the Warriors have an incredible inside-out combo. But veterans like Natahnee Spencer (5-6), Megan Risinger (5-10) and Brooke Litalien (5-7) only add to LCSC’s firepower on both ends of the floor. A favorable home schedule, including playing both MSU-Northern and UGF at home twice in league play, also will help the Warriors have a chance to make sure the Frontier title must go through Lewiston. But it isn’t just the Frontier crown the Warriors are after. With the talent they have, they’re certainly thinking NAIA national championship this season.

MSU-Northern

Skylights

2016-17: 11-2, 1-1, Ranked No. 11

2015-16: 23-9, 11-7; lost to Benedictine in NAIA 1st round

Head Coach: Chris Mouat, 12th Season

Location: Havre, MT

Outlook: The Skylights are off to another great start. And with losses at LC State in the Frontier semifinals, and against Benedictine in the first round of the NAIA tourney, last year ended in heartbreak for Northern. But it’s also served as motivation for a veteran Skylight squad that returns the Frontier MVP in Natalee Faupel, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in Jacy Thompson, and senior starters Molly Kreycik, Cydney Auzenne, who was All-Conference a year ago, and Sierra Richards. Add to that a much deeper bench this season, and Northern is a legitimate threat to win the league title and make a fourth straight trip to the NAIA national tourney. And the Skylights would love to do those two things, and even more. To achieve those goals, though, Northern must remain a Top 5 NAIA defense, which it is thus far, and the Skylights will have to win some key road games along the way. But as they’ve proven in recent years, they’re certainly capable of doing both.

Great Falls

Argos

2016-17: 0-2, 11-2, Ranked No. 14

2015-16: 24-11, 12-6, lost in NAIA Elite 8

Head Coach: Bill Himmelberg, 11th Season

Location: Great Falls, MT

Outlook: What an incredible job Himmelberg has done turning around the Argos. In the last two seasons, UGF has won four NAIA national tournament games and played for a Frontier championship, falling to the Warriors in last year’s title game. And while the graduation of all-time leading scorer Erin Legel, and key post players hit the Argos hard, they don’t look like they are slowing down. Senior guard Nneka Nnadi (5-9) is a returning All-American, while junior guard Stephanie McDonagh (5-9) is a scoring machine. Add to those two the size of Whitney George (6-4) inside, and the returning experience of Darrah Huertas-Vining and former Big Sandy star Molly Herron, and the Argos will once again be one of the top teams in the Frontier and have an outstanding chance of reaching Billings and a third straight berth in the national tourney.

Carroll College

Fighting Saints

2016-17: 1-1, 11-1, Ranked No. 25

2015-16: 22-9, 11-7, lost to Freed-Hardeman in NAIA 1st round

Head Coach: Rachelle Sayers, 6th Season

Location: Helena, MT

Outlook: With LC State, Northern and UGF making so much noise the last few years, Carroll might seem like the forgotten team. But the Fighting Saints aren’t overlooked by their opponents. Carroll was a national tourney team a year ago and appears to be another threat to win a Frontier title this season. The Saints possess perhaps the most dominant post player in the league in junior Cassidy Hashley (6-2), while 6-1 center Hannah Dean gives the Saints a big presence in the post. Bailey Pasta (5-6), Brittany Johnson (5-6), Sarah Chalich (5-6) and Baylee Watson (6-2) also give the Saints the depth to not only hang with the top teams in the league but continue to be one of them. And with that much firepower, expect Carroll to join the party when the national tourney comes to Billings in March.

Rocky Mountain College

Battlin’ Bears

2016-17: 0-2, 8-6

2015-16: 15-16, 7-11

Head Coach: Wes Keller, 3rd Season

Location: Billings, MT

Outlook: This will certainly be the most interesting season in recent Bears history. That’s because RMC will play the entire year knowing it’s going to the national tournament. Rocky is the host school for the next two NAIA national tournaments, so regardless of their record or ranking, the Bears are in the big dance for the first time a long, long time. But head coach Wes Keller would also prefer his team be playing at an elite level when they get there. And while Rocky has struggled some in non-conference play, the Bears do have talent. They miss All-American Whitney Mitchell, but Mikayla Jones (5-5) and Keisha Englehardt (5-9) have stepped up and added to veteran returnees like Jayde LeFevre (5-7), Justyn Juhl (6-0) and Hailee Farstveet (5-11). So if Rocky continues to improve, especially on the offensive end, there’s no reason why the Bears can’t be dangerous playing at home in the national tourney.

Montana Tech

Orediggers

2016-17: 1-2, 7-7

2015-16: 9-21, 5-13

Head Coach: Carly VanDyke-Sanon, 3rd Season

Location: Butte, MT

Outlook: Despite a lot of talent, last year was a tough one for Montana Tech. But to illustrate just how tough the Frontier is, the Orediggers have already knocked off UGF this year. And Tech should be much-improved the rest of the way because it returns almost all of its scoring from a year ago, including star guard Hattie Thatcher (5-5). Also back is fellow senior Martha Dembek (5-9) and senior center Rachel Ferris (6-2), while sophomore sisters Kourtney (5-8) and Kaylynn Coverdell (5-9) are stars in the making. Add in sophomore Sammy McGree (5-7), veteran Calee Remsen (5-10) and transfer Monica Landedeck (5-9) and the Orediggers are not built like a team that is picked to finish sixth in the final league standings. Instead, Tech is built much more like a title contender, and with a few more wins like their win over UGF, Tech could find itself vying for the Frontier title and a chance to go to the national tourney.

UM-Western

Bulldogs

2016-17: 2-0, 13-0, RV

2015-16: 13-17, 3-15

Head Coach: Lindsey Wooley, 5th Season

Location: Dillon, MT

Outlook: There’s so many good teams in the Frontier, but perhaps no team exemplifies just how good the league is this season than Western. After winning just three league games a year ago, Western is off to a 2-0 start in conference play, and Lindsey Wooley’s club brings an unblemished record into January. The turnaround in Dillon has been remarkable, including on the defensive end where the Dawgs lead the NAIA, allowing just 48 ppg. Offensively, they are balanced, with Kaye Bignell (5-9) and Aniese Palmore (5-5) combining for 30 ppg. Britt Cooper (5-10) and Cierra Lamey (5-10) are also bigtime scorers, while the return of Molly Klinker (6-1) after a career-threatening ski accident has really breathed new life into the Bulldogs. And if Western keeps it up for the next two months, the Bulldogs could find themselves on the verge of one of the best seasons in women’s basketball at UM-W in more than a decade, as well as possibly joining the party at the national tourney in Billings.