Breaking Sports: Tech steals one from Skylights

The MSU-Northern women's basketball team had their eighth straight win in their sights. The referees had other ideas. Leading 50-49 with the ball and :10 left, a phantom holding foul on Northern's Laci Keller gave Tech two free throws, which Danielle Devenny promptly sunk. Laramie Schwenke's ensuing game-winning shot rimmed out and the Orediggers walked out of the MSU-Northern Fieldhouse with a 51-50 Frontier Conference win Fr

MSU-Northern's Taylor Cummings (right) guards a Montana Tech player during the Skylights' heartbreaking loss to the Orediggers Friday night at the MSU-Northern Fieldhouse.

iday night in Havre.

The two teams went back and forth, with Jordan Bruursema putting MSU-N ahead 50-49 on two late free throws. The Skylights saw the lead change six times in the final four minutes. Northern led 27-24 at halftime on 14 first-half points by Schwenke. But Tech never wavred, getting 18 points from Devenny and 16 from Kelsey Dewit. The Skylights were led by Schwenke's 19 points, while Bruursema added 15.

Aside from the controversial finish to Friday night's game, the Skylights also hurt themselves by committing 21 turnovers and shooting just 29 percent from the 3-point-line. Northern came into the game as the top 3-point shooting team in the Frontier Conference.

MSU-N fell to 1-1 in the Frontier and 14-2 overall. It was also Northern's first loss at home this season. The Skylights will look to rebound on Saturday when they host UM-Western.

For full coverage, see Monday's Havre Daily News.