Skylights aiming to keep their season alive at Rocky Mountain

In Frontier Conference play this season, the Montana State University-Northern Skylights have played 15 games against teams in the NAIA Top 25. And if the Skylights want to advance their season, they’ll have to beat a Top 25 team tonight to do it.

Northern (13-17) heads to Billings tonight to battle No. 24 Rocky Mountain College (19-11) in the first round of the 2019 Frontier Conference Women’s Playoffs. And for the Skylights, who are 0-3 against the Battlin’ Bears this season, it’s win or go home.

“Our kids know what’s at stake,” MSU-N head coach Chris Mouat said. “This is the third season. We’ve played a very tough non-conference schedule, and a brutally tough league schedule this season. But now, everybody is 0-0 again, and our kids know what’s on the line. And they are embracing that challenge.”

And tonight’s game will be a challenge, though it’s one the Skylights have proven they can handle. Northern just beat nationally ranked Lewis-Clark State last Friday in the Armory Gymnasium, so there’s no reason why the Skylights, led by top scorers Peyton Kehr and Sydney Hovde, who combine to average 25 points per game, and a stingy defense that is ranked third best in Frontier play, can’t go into the Fortin Center tonight and come away with a win.

“We’ve competed with Rocky every time we’ve played them,” Mouat said. “But we also know just how complete a team they are. They’re very physical, they’re great on the boards, they’re very good defensively, they have great players and they are well coached.

“They’re just a very talented, complete team,” Mouat added. “They have great players, and they’re playing at a very high level right now. So this is a big challenge for us, but it’s one our kids are embracing.”

Rocky does present a stern test. Defensively, the Battlin’ Bears allow just 53 ppg, and their front line is big, as the Bears play five players that stand 5-11 or taller. Add to that their scoring punch that Alecia Chamberlain and others provide, and Mouat is right, Rocky is a very complete team.

But having played the Bears three times already, Northern won’t be intimidated, or afraid of the moment. The Skylights have grown by leaps and bounds, and overcome a ton of adversity this season. They have played one of the toughest schedules in all of the NAIA, and they have so many heartbreaking, close losses in league play, that Northern is much closer to being a national tournament team, than the sixth seed in the Frontier playoffs.

And that’s why the Skylights will be dangerous tonight in Billings. And it’s why they won’t shy away from the challenge that the Battlin’ Bears present in the fourth meeting of the year between the two rivals, and the third game between them in Billings.

“Again, everybody is 0-0 right now, and somebody is going to win this tournament and go to the national tournament,” Mouat said. “Our kids believe that can be us. We’ve prepared all year for this point in the season. We’ve played a lot of really good teams in non-conference and in our league. That has prepared us for where we are now. So now, it’s a matter of going down there and playing our best basketball of the season.”

Tonight’s quarterfinal game between Northern and RMC tips off at 7 inside the Fortin Center in Billings. The winner will advance to the semifinals Friday night. The Frontier tournament will conclude with the championship game Monday night at the site of the highest remaining seed.