Skylights return home to face Horns

It's very early in the season, but the Montana State University-Northern women's basketball team has a big rematch in front of it.

Montana State University-Northern's Nikki Tresch launches a shot during a recent women's basketball game in Havre. The Skylights are at home tonight to face the University of Lethbridge at the MSU-Northern Fieldhouse. The Skylights beat the Pronghorns last weekend in Calgary and are off to a 4-0 start this season. Tonight's game tips off at 5:30 p.m.

Northern, which is off to a 4-0 start this season despite injuries to Laramie Schwenke, Laci Keller and Kylee Denham, beat the Horns' 73-46 last Friday night in Calgary. In that game, juniors Nikki Tresch and Jordan Bruursema, along with Denham led the way, but like in all three games last weekend, freshmen Rachelle Bennett and Taylor Cummings stepped up too.

On the Canadian trip, which the Skylights went 3-0 last weekend, Tresch averaged 16 points per game and Bruursema added 14 points and six rebounds per, helping Northern to the three-game sweep.

And despite the solid play in Calgary and the lopsided margin of victory against the Horns', MSU-N head coach Chris Mouat is expecting a tough matchup tonight.

"They (Pronghorns) will come down here and play us very tough, they always do," Mouat said. "We played well against them in Calgary. We really played a great second half. But they are too good to just let that happen again, so we know they'll come in here ready to play much better."

Lethbridge has good size and outstanding guards according to Mouat. Ali Cameron is a force for the Horns' and scored 16 points against the Skylights last weekend. In the paint, the Horns' have forwards like 6-0 Morgan Cross and 6-2 Kim Veldman, and that size will be tough for the Skylights to contend with two weeks in a row. The Horns' are also a strong shooting team from the outside.

"They have really good athletes," Mouat said of Lethbridge. "Their posts are strong and athletic and all their wing players can step out and shoot it. They have a lot of quickness too, so they are a tough matchup for our defense.

"This will be another good test for our team, because again, they (Horns') are a very solid team and we're expecting them to come in here play very well," he added. "But I'm really excited about the start we're off to and I think this game will only help us get better, win or lose."

The Skylights and Pronghorns will tip off at 5:30 at the MSU-Northern Fieldhouse. MSU-N will not play at home again until Dec. 8 when the Skylights host Dickinson State University.