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News you can use
Montana State University-Northern's Jesse Vaughan dribbles up during a Frontier Conference men's basketball game last January in Havre. Northern recently announced its 2014-15 schedule, which begins with a home game against Concordia of Alberta Oct. 9 at the Armory Gym.
The official start of football season is still a week away. But it’s never too early too think about basketball, and the release of the 2014-15 Montana State University-Northern men’s basketball schedule should wet a few fans’ appetites.
Northern head coach Shawn Huse finalized his schedule for the upcoming season recently, and the Lights will open the new season with a pair of home games. Northern’s season-opener is Oct. 9 against Concordia of Alberta, and Oct. 16, the Lights will be back in the Armory Gymnasium to face Northwest Indian College.
However, with the Frontier Conference losing a team in Dickinson State University, the Lights had to get creative with their scheduling, adding two more nonconference games. Those games will come as part of a tough preconference road schedule in which the Lights go from Oct. 16 until Jan. 2 without playing in Havre.
“This will be a very challenging schedule,” Huse said. “Losing the two conference games with Dickinson (who departed for the newly formed Northstar Conference) meant we needed to find two more nonconference contests. In the NAIA we play 30 games between conference and nonconference, so we had to find two more nonconference road games than we normally schedule.”
After playing their first two at home, the Lights will play at a tournament in Lethbridge, Alberta Oct. 24-25, as well as trips to Oregon and Idaho in November. Big names on those road trips include playing at Warner Pacific Nov. 8 and at the College of Idaho Nov. 22.
After an extended break, Northern will fly to Phoenix where the Lights will face two GSAC powers in Concordia-Irvine and Cal-State San Marcos. In 2012, the Lights defeated the No. 1 team in the country and defending NAIA National Champion Concordia in a preseason tournament, 70-58.
“The two new games ended up coming in the form of two more nonconference road games than usual … and on a schedule that already includes last year’s number one team in the NAIA most of the season (Cal-State San Marcos) and a former NAIA National Champion (Concordia-Irvine). Both schools are going NCAA Division II in 2015-16. At the small college level, it does not get any tougher than those two teams, so that will be a good challenge and good experience for us. I believe it will make us tougher for the rest of the season. We have proven we can play with and beat those caliber of teams in the past. It’s not easy, but it can be done.”
The Lights finally return home for three games to close the nonconference season and start the new year. On Jan. 2-3, MSU-N hosts Augustana of Alberta, and on Jan. 4, MSU-N faces Crossroads University.
The Lights remain at home to open Frontier Conference play, facing Montana Tech Jan. 9 and Lewis-Clark State Jan. 10. Northern also hosts UM-Western Jan. 23 and Westminster College, which is in its last year of Frontier play, Jan. 24. In February, the Lights will be at home Feb. 13 against Rocky Mountain College and play rival Carroll College in a Valentines night matchup. MSU-N also gets to play its final regular season game at home when the Lights host rival Great Falls Feb. 31.
The Lights, who finished tied for second in the Frontier Conference last season, made their fourth straight trip to the NAIA national tournament last March, and their fifth in the last six seasons. This coming season, Northern will be gunning for its ninth straight 20-win season under Huse, and its 10th consecutive top-four finish in the Frontier Conference.
“We know we have work to be done and are excited to get going with our mix of returners and new recruits, to prep for our road-heavy schedule,” Huse said.
The Lights will begin practicing sometime later in the fall in preparation for their season-opening game against Concordia of Alberta Oct. 9 at the Armory Gymnasium. For a look at the 2014-15 Skylight basketball schedule, see Friday's Havre Daily News.
2014-15 Lights Basketball Schedule
Oct. 9 vs Concordia of Alberta
Oct. 16 vs NW Indian College
Oct. 17 vs Lethbridge
Oct. 24 vs Lethbridge
At Lethbridge Tournament
Oct. 25 vs Alberta
At Lethbridge Tournament
Nov. 7 at Portland Bible College
Nov. 8 at Warner Pacific
Nov. 10 at NW Christian
Nov. 21 at NW Nazarene
Nov. 22 at College of Idaho
Dec. 18 vs Concordia-Irvine
At Phoenix, Arizona
Dec. 19 vs Cal-State San Marcos
At Phoenix, Arizona
Dec. 20 vs Grant-McEwan
At Phoenix, Arizona
Jan. 2 vs Augustana
AmericInn Classic
Jan. 3 vs Augustana
AmericInn Classic
Jan. 4 vs Crossroads University
AmericInn Classic
Jan. 9 vs Montana Tech
Jan. 10 vs LC State
Jan. 15 at Carroll College
Jan. 17 at Rocky Mountain
Jan. 23 vs UM-Western
Jan. 24 vs Westminster
Jan. 31 at Great Falls
Feb. 5 at LC State
Feb. 7 at Montana Tech
Feb. 13 vs Rocky Mountain
Feb. 14 vs Carroll College
Feb. 19 at UM-Western
Feb. 21 at Westminster
Feb. 28 vs Great Falls
March 4 Frontier Playoffs
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