Skylights face daunting hoops schedule

The Montana State University-Northern women's basketball team had a banner season a year ago. But moving forward, the 2014-15 Skylights might be in for even bigger and better things.

Following a 2013-14 season in which the Skylights reached the NAIA national tournament, and advanced to the Sweet 16, veteran head coach Chris Mouat released his schedule for the upcoming season.

And as always, the Skylights will be tested early, and often, especially on the road. Northern opens its season with a road trip to Edmonton, Alberta, Oct. 10-11, and that's a sign of tough things to come as MSU-N plays 14 of its first 17 games of the season away from the Armory Gymnasium.

After playing two games in Edmonton, the Skylights will make their home debut Oct. 16 against Northwest Indian College. And they'll be back at home Oct. 19 to host Warner Pacific. After that however, MSU-N will only play one more home game before Frontier Conference play begins in January. Northern is home to host Valley City State on Nov. 28.

In between, the talented Skylights, who went 22-10 last season, and came within three points of advancing to the NAIA Elite 8, will make some tough trips in the fall. They'll play two games in Lethbridge in late October, then travel to Phoenix to face San Diego Christian and Arizona Christian Nov. 7-8. The next week, MSU-N will be back in Montana to face Corban University and Dakota Wesleyn in Great Falls, but will head right back on the long road for three games in Portland, Oregon, and in Washington Dec. 4-6. Northern will also close out nonconference play with two challenging games in Palm Beach, Florida, Dec. 30-31.

And that brutal road schedule should get the Skylights ready for a run at the Frontier title. MSU-N opens league play Jan. 9 against Montana Tech and Jan. 10 against rival Lewis-Clark State, with both games in Havre. Northern is also home to face UM-Western on Jan. 23 and Westminster College Jan. 24. In February, the Skylights are in the Armory to take on Rocky Mountain College Feb. 13 and Carroll College the following night. Those games come after a tough, three-game road stretch which inlcudes visits to rival UGF, Montana Tech and LC State. Finally, the Skylights will be home to close out the regular season with a senior-night game against Great Falls Feb. 28.

Northern will also play an intra-squad scrimmage in Belt Oct. 4. Belt is the hometown of senior point guard Taylor Cummings, as well as freshman Katie Fetterer.

2014-15 Skylights Basketball Schedule

Oct. 4 Intra-Squad Scrimmage

At Belt

Oct. 10 vs Concordia University

At Edmonton

Oct. 11 vs The Kings University

At Edmonton

Oct. 16 vs Northwest Indian College

Oct. 19 vs Warner Pacific

Oct. 24 vs Lethbridge

At Lethbridge

Oct. 25 vs Mount Royal

At Lethbridge

Nov. 7 vs San Diego Christian

At Phoenix

Nov. 8 vs Arizona Christian

At Phoenix

Nov. 14 vs Corban University

At Great Falls

Nov. 15 vs Dakota Wesleyn

At Great Falls

Nov. 28 vs Valley City State

Dec. 4 at Willamette University

Dec. 5 at Multnomah Bible College

Dec. 6 at Walla Walla

Dec. 30 vs Northwood University

At Palm Beach, Florida

Dec. 31 vs Cornerstone University

At Palm Beach, Florida

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 3 – Frontier Playoffs