Skylights chase title game berth at LC State

No one in the Frontier Conference has been better against the Lewis-Clark State Warriors than the Montana State University-Northern Skylights have for the last four years. And no one has even come close this season as the Skylights took two out of three from the Warriors.

However, to get the one that matters the most, the Skylights will have to beat the Warriors for a third time — and they’ll have to do it in LC’s house.

Saturday night, the No. 16 Skylights (23-7) pay a visit to No. 14 LCSC (23-6) for a Frontier Conference semifinal showdown. Both teams will play on this season, as both are virtual locks to make the NAIA national tournament, but only one will play for a Frontier championship on Tuesday night.

And while winning in Lewiston, Idaho, is never easy, Northern already did that this season, when the Skylights beat the Warriors 62-54 back on Feb. 6. And just last weekend, the Skylights handed the Warriors a 65-56 loss in Havre, so there’s no reason for Northern to think like an underdog Saturday night.

“Our kids know they have done great things against them (Warriors), twice already,” said MSU-N head coach Chris Mouat. “So we won’t sell ourselves short. We’re going to go in there and play the very best we can, and give it our very best effort. Our kids definitely believe in themselves.

“At the same time, we’re going to have to be special,” Mouat added. “Because winning down there is very hard to do. Our kids know they can compete with them, but, LC has been the best team in our league all season in my opinion. And they most likely want a piece of us for sure, so it’s going to take a special game on our part to beat them.”

The Warriors are no doubt good. Led by sensational point guard Caelyn Orlandi, and a cast that includes five players who stand 6-1 or taller, the Warriors are a handful offensively. But where they are even better is on defense. They yield just 55 points per game, and they are one of the top rebounding teams in the country. On top of that, head coach Brian Orr has always been a master at the full-court press, and getting his team to force turnovers when they need them the most.

“They’re complete,” Mouat said. “They have it all. They have great guards, they have good size, they can shoot it, they can defend and they are so tough on the boards. They are simply the best team in our league, and if you’re going to beat them, you have to do everything right. You have to defend, you have to win on the boards, you have to make shots and you can’t turn the ball over. If we do all of those things well, then we have a chance. But if we don’t, LC is the type of team that will really make you pay.”

The Skylights have done those things against the Warriors the last two times they’ve met. But, in their last two games, they haven’t done them. In its last eight quarters, Northern has struggled offensively, even in Wednesday night’s first-round win over Rocky Mountain College inside the Armory Gymnasium. So, shooting will be a big key for the Skylights Saturday night.

And, there’s no reason to think Northern can’t break out of its recent shooting slump. Junior Natalee Faupel averages 16 points per game, while sophomore Jacy Thompson is a deadly 3-point shooter. Cydney Auzenne has had a phenomenal conference season, averaging 11 per night, while in the paint Sierra Richards battles her way to nine points and six rebounds per game. And, when Northern gets added shooting from junior point guard Molly Kreycik, as well as key bench points like it got from senior Rachelle Bennett Wednesday night, then the Skylights become extremely hard to beat. And that’s exactly what they’re hoping to be Saturday night — hard to beat. Northern is also hoping to advance to the Frontier championship game for the second year in a row, and once there, atone for last year’s heartbreaking loss at Westminster College.

“We’ll have to play better, that is for sure. We have to shoot the ball much better than we have been lately,” Mouat said. “And we know we’re capable of playing better. It’s going to be a huge challenge, winning at their gym in conference tournament. Not many teams have ever done that to LC. But our kids believe in themselves. They know what they’re capable of doing.”

Saturday night Frontier semifinal between Northern and LC State will tip at 8 p.m. M.S.T. in Lewiston. The winner will advance to play either UGF or Carroll College in the Frontier championship game Tuesday night.