MSU-N BB 2021-22: Skylights excited for a return to normal

When the Montana State University-Northern Skylights hit the hardwood later this month, it will seem as though everything has changed. For starters, last year's shortened Frontier Conference season was played in front of no fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that will not be the case this winter.

But perhaps what's more different for the Skylights will be the makeup of their team, as Northern graduated a ton of firepower from last year's squad, which went 7-14 overall and 5-10 in the Frontier, and advanced to the conference semifinals.

Still, change is inevitable, and veteran Northern head coach Chris Mouat is looking forward to a season, which includes a return to normal.

"Our kids can't wait," Mouat said. "Last year was very tough on them in so many ways. We missed a ton of court time and had more than our fair share of quarantine time. But when we did get to play, especially at home, it was just so different. I think our kids did an outstanding job of staying positive and really creating energy, but it's just not the same. Our crowd does so much for us and we are just looking forward to seeing familiar faces in the gym again.

"With so many cancellations and postponements last year, our team is really looking forward to getting back to normal, or as normal as it can be," he continued. "They really dealt with a lot last year so it's been fun for them to be in the gym at volleyball matches and at the field for football games. They've seen the support our teams get, and they can't wait to be a part of it all. I think it reminded them of just how great our fans are and made them even more excited to play in the Armory."

When fans do fill the Armory for Northern hoops games, they'll see a Skylight team without veterans McKenzie Gunter, Tiara Gilham and Allix Goldhahn, who were all starters from a year ago. Still, the likes of Peyton Kehr and Sydney Hovde did choose to return for their extra year of eligibility that was granted due to the pandemic, so that gives MSU-N a pair of double-digit scorers with strong leadership. Add to that L'Tia Lawrence, Ryley Kehr, Cameron Moony, Morgan Mason and Dulci SkunkCap, who all saw significant minutes last season, and Mouat feels he has a strong core group that will mix in nicely with newcomers such as Danielle Tyler, Sydney Prather and Hazel Fui, who are all experienced transfers. Freshmen Savanna Toms, Shyan Krass of Turner, Kylie Lantz and sophomore Shaann Danelson round out Northern's roster.

"We have five new kids joining us this year," Mouat said. "They have all done a great job and are great additions to what we had coming back. Obviously, we lost a ton with Allix, T (Gilham), and McKenzie not only in terms of stats but also in leadership. This group has come together pretty quickly. We have had a few bumps in the road with injuries and sickness, but they have battled through things really well."

Depth and leadership will serve the Skylights well, but there are plenty of other things MOuat already sees his team being strong at this season.

"I think we are deeper in the post than we have been in a long time," he said. "We have five different kids who can step in and play inside, which should help us at both ends. On the perimeter, we have quite a few kids who can shoot it well from the 3-point line. As a group, this team has impressed me with their ability to learn quickly. We've thrown a lot at them in only six practices and they are doing a great job of processing what we are asking them to do. For us to be successful, we are really going to need to become more sound on the boards and at the defensive end. Those two things are big and at this point I would say that our offense is ahead of our defense. To be competitive in our league, we will have to be solid at both ends."

Northern will get a chance to see just what it's made out of early and often, too. The Skylights didn't play non-conference games a year ago due to the pandemic, but a rigorous non-league schedule is something Mouat always favors, and he has that back this season.

"I like our schedule. It's really going to test us right away," Mouat noted. "It's nice to have a home and home with Dickinson State because they are about the closest non-conference opponent we can get. The Great Falls tournament is also a good one, as we'll see Corban, who has been a top team in the Cascade Conference and a team who has had success at nationals recently. Our trip to Seattle will be challenging playing three games in four days. We also have Our Lady of the Lake returning to Havre this year. They are a perennial Top-15 team in the nation so getting them at home is a huge opportunity for us. The Phoenix tournament has us facing three teams in three days, and they are all strong teams. Bushnell (formerly Northwest Christian) went 11-2 in a shortened season last year and the year before were 26-5 and a national tournament team. Bethel is another powerhouse and a regular in the Top 25 poll and at the national tournament. Benedictine-Mesa narrowly missed the national tournament a year ago and they play a style completely different than ours."

Indeed, it will be a tough non-conference slate for the Skylights, but it's all in preparation for the upcoming league season, which will see games played on Thursday nights and Saturday days throughout the year. This will also be the second season in which the Frontier is Montana-only, after Lewis-Clark State returned to the CCC two years ago. Still, Frontier play is a ways off, and right now, Mouat is just excited to see his team back at it, and is looking forward to the year ahead.

"Our league is going to be really good once again," Mouat said. "For us to be competitive, we are going to have to improve throughout the season. If we get better every day, I know we can do good things. We just have to keep working and be competitive every day, in everything we do."

The Skylights open the new season next Tuesday against Dickinson State in the Armory Gymnasium. Frontier play begins Dec. 2 at Carroll College and Dec. 4 at home against Providence.