Skylights face road rivalries

The Montana State University-Northern Skylights have already played two difficult Frontier Conference opponents on the road. But, when league play resumes this weekend, the Skylights will be out on the road against their two biggest rivals.

In a pair of showdowns with fellow ranked opponents, the No. 11 Skylights (11-2, 1-1) restart Frontier play against No. 13 UGF tonight and No. 25 Carroll College Saturday night.

"This is a very tough trip against two nationally-ranked teams," MSU-N head coach Chris Mouat said. "Both are talented and have won some big games already this season."

Of course, so have the Skylights. Led by senior Natalee Faupel, who leads the Frontier in scoring at 18 points per game, as well as veterans Jaci Thompson (11 ppg), Sierra Richards (9 ppg), Molly Kreycik (7 ppg) and Cydney Auzenne (6 ppg), Northern is off to a strong start this season – a start that includes being ranked fourth in the NAIA in scoring defense (51 ppg), Defensive Rebounding (31 rpg) and free-throw percentage (77%).

And with two tough games, the Skylights will need to be at their best in those categories and more, starting tonight in Great Falls.

"Great Falls is one of the more explosive teams in the country. They play fast and they have a ton of weapons who can hurt you," Mouat said.  "I really like their depth and they've added some new faces who really give them a lift.  Steph McDonagh is playing at an MVP-type level and she has been all year.  Dara Huertes-Vining is back for them, and she is a really dynamic point guard.  Nneka Nnadi is a returning All-Conference and All-American selection. Nneka (Nnadi) is about as athletic as anyone in our league.  Whitney George is doing great things for them and has proven to be a game-changer for them. Molly Herron might be one of the most improved players in our league. Great Falls is very good and we will have to be extremely sharp on the defensive end and on the boards."

And playing at UGF (11-2, 0-2) is just half the battle, as the Skylights then head south to Helena to face the Fighting Saints (11-1, 1-1) on Saturday. And with how good Carroll is, that makes this first road trip in January a very tough one for Northern, which has its next six league games at home.

"Carroll, as in the past, is very physical," Mouat said. "They have great size and length, and they are deep in the post. They are one of the better, if not best, rebounding teams we will face all season long. Carroll always has a solid plan defensively.  They make you earn everything you get and don't allow many second chance opportunities. Bailey Pasta has stepped in at the point and done a great job.  Their length at the wings is excellent with Brittany Johnson and Bailey Watson and they've been utilizing this on the defensive end and boards very well. In the post,  Cassidy Hashley and Hannah Dean form an outstanding combo.  They also have some kids coming off of the bench who contribute a lot to their success. 

  "Both games present huge challenges," he added. "We simply want to put our best foot forward as we get back into the swing of league games."

Tonight's game between MSU-N and UGF tips at 5:30 in the McLaughlin Center. Saturday's tilt in Helena between the Skylights and Saints also tips at 5:30 p.m. Northern returns home to host UM-Western and Rocky Mountain College next weekend.