Frontier Notebook: UGF teams rising to the next level

The Montana State University-Northern basketball teams have had some great games with the University of Great Falls. Not just in the modern era, but dating back to the late 1970s and early 1980s, when UGF basketball was king.

But, there hasn’t been as important a night between Northern and UGF than the one that will go down Saturday night. And the Argos are to thank for that.

When the Northern men and women travel to Great Falls to invade the McLaughlin Center Saturday night, both UGF teams will be nationally ranked in games against MSU-N for the first time in over a decade. And the women’s game will pit two nationally ranked teams against each other for the first time in the MSU-N/UGF rivalry.

UGF head coach Bill Himmelberg has built the Argos into a Frontier Conference power — and though it’s taken some time, the wait for UGF fans was worth it. The Argos come into Saturday night’s game with Northern ranked No. 22 in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll. Two weeks ago was the first time a UGF women’s team has cracked the NAIA Top 25.

And a big reason the Argos are where they are is talent — but also depth. UGF has not one, but two Frontier Player of the Year candidates in juniors Erin Legel and Lindsey Abramson, as well as sharp shooter Darrah Huertas-Vining. But the Argos have a deep bench and that’s what makes them so good. They are also explosive on the offensive end of the floor. For the last two seasons, UGF has the led the Frontier in scoring, and they’ll hope that explosiveness can put to halt a seven-game losing streak against the Skylights.

The men’s game will be equally as big. The Argos, under first-year head coach Anthony Owens, are thriving. They’ve risen to No. 12 in the NAIA and are in first place in the Frontier standings. Owens, who replaced Steve Silsby last summer, has had the magic touch so far. He’s pushing all the right buttons, and the Argos are responding. They’ve beaten four different nationally ranked teams this season, and like Northern, come into Saturday night’s bout having swept UM-Western and Westminster last weekend.

Depth is also a huge key to the UGF men’s success thus far. UGF has 12 players on its roster who average more than 12 minutes per game. Like the women, the men have their stars, like Marcus Hurn and veteran point guard T.J. Harris. But the Argos are as balanced as any team in the league. UGF boasts just two players in double figures, but the Argos have seven more players averaging between five and nine points per night.

Yes, under Owens, the Argos are playing a balanced brand of defensive basketball, and a first-ever trip to the NAIA national tournament is starting to become a real reality now.

Also, with how good both the UGF men and women are right now, the rivalry with the Lights and Skylights is about to get even bigger, and even more intense. And this year’s version of the rivalry should start with a bang Saturday night in Great Falls.

In The Hunt

The Lights certainly got themselves out of the Frontier cellar this weekend. They dominated then No. 9 UM-Western, and a 16-point comeback against Westminster last Saturday helped vault Northern from 0-4 in league play to 2-4.

Yes, that’s still below .500 and the Lights have a long way to go, but they went from alone in last place in the conference standings, to a three-way tie for fifth in the span of 24 hours. Northern also proved something to itself. By beating the Griffins and Bulldogs, the lights erased any doubts they may have had during their four-game losing streak, and realized, they are a team to be reckoned with in the Frontier.

Once again, the 3-point shot was the catalyst. MSU-N hit seven 3-pointers in a 13-minute stretch of the second half in its comeback against Westminster, while the Lights shot 50 percent from three in their win against Western. Northern is leading the Frontier in 3-point shooting at 39 percent, and has made more threes this season than any team in the conference.

But one thing that really changed the complexion of Northern’s season last weekend was its defense. For four straight years, the Lights led the Frontier in field goal defense, but going into last weekend’s home stand, the Lights were just fifth in the conference. However, they forced a combined 31 turnovers in their two game last weekend and out-rebounded both their opponents.

“Defense is always the key for us,” Northern senior Corbin Pearson said. “That’s where it starts for us. If we play hard on defense, we know we’ll get going on the other end.”

The Lights’ defense will be critical over the next two weeks. If Northern is truly going to get back in the race for the Frontier, and especially, a postseason berth, the Lights will need to find ways to make up ground on the road. Not only does MSU-N visit UGF this weekend, but the Lights will travel to Lewis-Clark State Feb. 5 and Montana Tech Feb. 7, two teams that swept Northern to open league play earlier this month.

New Heights

This weekend marks the halfway point of the Frontier season. And if the season ended today, five Frontier women’s teams would likely be headed to the national tournament.

MSU-N sits atop the Frontier standings, it will likely take a disaster for the Skylights to not be considered an at-large team come March. Westminster is a half game behind the Skylights, and the Griffins too are a virtual lock to reach the national tournament.

Then there’s Carroll, LC State and UGF. All three teams would be in as of today, but it will be hard for that trend to continue for the rest of the season. LCSC and Westminster still play each other twice, as does Northern and UGF. Those matchups will be critical for how the final conference standings unfold. Carroll, which also has two losses in league play, could be the x-factor though. The Saints have a win over Westminster and a loss to Northern, but Carroll gets the Griffins at home next weekend. That game could determine a lot as far as seeding for the Frontier tournament, the playoffs and getting an at-large berth to the national tournament.

But no matter how things pan out, the Frontier is proving to be easily one of the best women’s conference’s in NAIA Division I, and five teams in the Coaches Poll is a the best indicator of that.

Star Watch

Three weeks into the Frontier season, Carroll College sophomore Zach Taylor continues to lead the Frontier in scoring. Taylor averages a whopping 19 points per game. UGF’s Sigmond Farmer III is the top rebounder at eight per night, while RMC’s Tyree Anderson leads the league in assists at four per game. Northern’s Trevail Lee is 15th in the Frontier in scoring at 13 points per game, but in conference play, he’s averaging close to 16 points per night.

On the women’s side, UGF’s Erin Legel averages 19 points per outing, while Northern A’Jha Edwards is averaging 13 rebounds per game. Westminster’s Amy Krommenhoek is tops in assists with six per outing. Edwards is also fourth in the Frontier in scoring at 17 points per game, and is first in blocks at 1.7 per night.