Skylights re-start Frontier play with Bears, Dawgs

Now, it's not only for real, but it's for good.

After beginning Frontier Conference play last month at home, the Montana State University-Northern Skylights re-start league play in the friendly confines of the Armory Gymnasium. The Skylights (0-2, 7-8), host Rocky Mountain College tonight, followed by a home game with Montana Western Saturday afternoon.

And Northern does have momentum as league play begins anew in 2023. MSU-N has won three straight games, but Northern head coach Chris Mouat is looking forward, not back.

"Both Rocky and Western are good teams and they are playing very well," Mouat said. "Rocky is likely to be in the top 25 in the next national poll, and Western has been ranked all season long. Both teams have added NCAA Division I transfers who are really helping them."

Indeed. The Battlin' Bears (2-0, 10-4) are off to great start this season, scoring 72 points per game and shooting better than 40 percent from the field. The Bears are led by All-American Kloie Thatcher, but sophomore forward Morgan Baird is having a big season, as she averages 12 points and six rebounds per night. Dominique Stephens is another double digit scorer for the Bears.

And things won't get any easier when Western comes to town Saturday. The No. 18 Bulldogs are 1-1 in the Frontier but 13-2 overall, and are led by All-American forward Brynley Fitzgerald, who averages 18 points per game. Jordan Sweeney, Mesa King and former Box Elder stars Joelnell and Kyla Momberg are more key pieces to a Western squad that averages 73 points while allowing just 53 per outing.

"Rocky is very complete and has a great balance of posts and guards. They can hurt you at all five positions on the floor and have nice depth. Defensively, they are always prepared and they are a solid rebounding team. Their inside-out balance offensively makes them a very difficult matchup. Despite the loss of one of the best players in the country in N'Dea Flye, they have a great core group back (including All-American Khloie Thatcher and 3 starters) from their Elite 8 team last year and they've added really nice pieces around them," Mouat said. "Western has played at a high level all season long. They execute as well as anyone, run great stuff, and are always a physically tough defensive team who plays bigger than they are. Brynley Fitzgerald is the best scorer in our league and can hurt you from anywhere, but they have a team of shooters around her who can just break games open if they are shooting it well. They have great returners, but their group of incoming players has helped make them even tougher at both ends of the floor."

Of course, as good as both teams are, the Skylights will counter with star point guard Briaunna McCullough, who leads MSU-N at 13 points and seven rebounds per game. Riley Kehr and Shyan Krass have also come up big this season for a Northern squad that's still finding its way as the new Frontier season begins.

"We will have to continue to focus on the things that have hurt us, mainly taking care of the basketball, getting defensive stops when we need them, and executing," Mouat said. We will be in for two tough battles against top-tier teams in the country and will have to be at our very best."

The Skylights host Rocky tonight at 5 in the Armory. Northern plays Western Saturday at 2 p.m., also in the Armory Gymnasium.