Skylights look to rebound in Great Falls

The Montana State University-Northern women's basketball team got to play a rare early season game inside the state of Montana Tuesday night. And the Skylights get to do it again Friday afternoon.

But, Northern is hoping the second time around is a lot better than the first.

The fifth-ranked Skylights (5-0) put their unbeaten record on the line Friday afternoon when they take on another NAIA heavyweight in Wayland Baptist University. The game will be played at UGF's McLaughlin Center in Great Falls, and is part of a tough stretch of road games right now.

The Skylights are coming off a difficult 80-32 loss at the hands of the University of Montana Tuesday night in Missoula, and now must regroup for a matchup with one of the NAIA's best Friday. Next weekend, Northern is back on the road for rematch with the Dickinson State Blue Hawks in Dickinson, North Dakota.

But right now, the only thing on Northern's mind is rebounding from Tuesday's beating at the hands of the Lady Griz. The game was an exhibition for Northern, but it didn't matter to head coach Chris Mouat, who said his team needs to play a lot better on Friday if they are to have a chance against the Queens.

"We didn't play very well at all," Mouat said of the Lady Griz game. "There's no other way to say it. So we need to make sure we learn as much as we can from that game, and make sure that it makes us better in the long run. But we need to learn in a hurry because we've got a nationally ranked and very good Wayland Baptist team on Friday, and that game is going to be another big challenge for us."

Wayland Baptist (2-0) was a national tournament team a year ago, and the Queens are picked to win the Sooner Athletic Conference this season — and that's saying something considering the conference is absolutely loaded with teams that perennially go deep into the national tournament.

And they'll certainly put Northern's staunch defense to the test. In their two wins this season, the Queens are averaging over 80 points per game, and shooting nearly 40 percent from the 3-point-line. Twin guards Shawna and Shayla Monreal, along with point guard Brianna Bogard anchor a dangerous backcourt, while 5-11 forward Jade Jones is a true scoring threat.

Of course, Northern has plenty of firepower on its side, too. Natalee Faupel is averaging close to 15 points per game, while Jacy Thompson is as good a 3-point shooter as there is in the country. The return of senior Rachelle Bennett and junior Tina Doughty give the Skylights their added depth back at the guard position, while Sierra Richards and Jessica Anderson continue to anchor the post.

And, because Northern is so talented, that makes Friday's game with Wayland Baptist so intriguing. It's an early season NAIA matchup between two powerhouses expected to contend for their respective conference titles, as well as go deep into the national tournament.

"We're going to have our hands full with them (Queens)," Mouat said. "It will be a good test to find out where we're at, and it's going to feel very much like a (Frontier) conference game."

Northern's game with Wayland Baptist will tip off at 4 p.m. Friday in Great Falls. It's part of a tough stretch of road games, where the Skylights won't play at home again until Dec. 14.