Lights' basketball schedule is released

The Montana State University-Northern men's basketball team always has an interesting and challenging schedule. But the 2015-16 schedule might be the most interesting yet.

Northern men's head coach Shawn Huse recently released the Lights' schedule for the upcoming season, and the first thing that will be noticeably different is the Frontier Conference format. Due to Westminster departing for NCAA Division II, the Frontier schedule for basketball will now feature teams playing each other three times per season, instead of the traditional home-and-home format. The decision in basketball varied from volleyball, which chose to continue playing each other just twice in conference play.

So, under the format, the Lights will play their first Frontier games in early December, traveling to Rocky Mountain College on Dec. 3 and UM-Western Dec. 5. Northern will then resume Frontier play Jan. 7 against the University of Great Falls.

And the new format isn't the only interesting thing about the Lights' Frontier schedule. Northern also plays three straight weeks' worth of conference games at home in January. The Lights play UGF, Carroll College, Montana Tech, Lewis-Clark State, RMC and Western between Jan. 7 and Jan. 27 all in the Armory Gymnasium. Then, MSU-N will play six straight on the road between Jan. 28 and Feb. 13, including a second trip to Rocky and Western, before wrapping up the Frontier season with four straight at home, including a second appearance by UGF, Carroll, LC State and Montana Tech.

While the Frontier schedule is anything but normal, the Lights' non-conference schedule is more par for the course. Northern opens the season early, hosting the University of Regina Oct. 3. The Lights then travel to Red Deer, Alberta, for three games, before closing out the month of October with home games against Warner-Pacific and Portland Bible College Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, respectively.

The month of November begins with another home game against rival Dickinson State Nov. 7, before the Lights head to Las Vegas for tough NAIA games against Benedictine University and Embry-Riddle Nov. 13-14. MSU-N will then have a long break before playing its first two Frontier games in early December, then break again for the holiday's before traveling to Camrose, Alberta, for two games against Augustana, Dec. 28-29. The Lights then close out the non-conference season with home games against Concordia-University of Edmonton Jan. 2-3.

2015-16 Lights Basketball Schedule

Oct. 3 vs Regina

Oct. 8 at Red Deer College

Oct. 9 at Northern British Columbia

Oct. 10 at King's University

Oct. 30 vs Warner Pacific

Oct. 31 vs Portland Bible

Nov. 7 vs Dickinson State

Nov. 13 vs Benedictine University

In Las Vegas

Nov. 14 vs Embry-Riddle

In Las Vegas

Dec. 3 at Rocky Mountain

Dec. 5 at UM-Western

Dec. 28 at Alberta-Augustana

Dec. 29 at Alberta-Augustana

Jan. 2 vs Concordia-Edmonton

Jan. 3 vs Concordia-Edmonton

Jan. 7 vs Great Falls

Jan. 8 vs Carroll College

Jan. 15 vs Montana Tech

Jan. 16 vs Lewis-Clark State

Jan. 22 vs Rocky Mountain

Jan. 23 vs UM-Western

Jan. 28 at Great Falls

Jan. 30 at Carroll College

Feb. 4 at Montana Tech

Feb. 6 at Lewis-Clark State

Feb. 11 at UM-Western

Feb. 13 at Rocky Mountain

Feb. 18 vs Great Falls

Feb. 19 vs Carroll College

Feb. 26 vs Lewis-Clark State

Feb. 27 vs Montana Tech