Skylights win on senior night; Rocky darkens the Lights

The MSU-Northern women got their big win this weekend on Friday night. But, they had some unfinished business on the final night of the Frontier Conference regular season. And, they took care of that business.

Saturday, and on an emotional senior night in the Armory Gymnasium, Northern turned away Rocky Mountain College 53-49. The win gave Northern its only win against the Battlin' Bears this season, but more importantly, gave the Skylights a 12-6 finish in the Frontier.

The game was exciting too, but, it wasn't easy, and the Skylights needed all 28 of sensational senior Natalee Faupel's points to hold off the Bears. Faupel banged in two early 3-pointers to give the Skylights a 16-4 lead in the first quarter. However, by the time halftime rolled around, the Bears had whittled the lead down to 30-24 and they were just getting warmed up.

Despite nine points from Faupel in the third, Rocky's Markaela Francis had a big quarter, while the Bears went on a 7-0 run and trailed just 42-40. The game went down to the wire from there, but a key bucket from Molly Kreycik with 2 minutes to go, as well as a three from Cydney Auzenne, the Skylights were able to hang on. And fittingly, Faupel made four free throws in the final :30 to lift Northern to the win.

Faupel was incredible with 28 points and eight rebounds. She also made four three's. Kreycik added seven and Sierra Richards scored 6 and grabbed 11 rebounds. Rocky got 14 each from Francis and Farvsteet.

The Skylights will now get ready for the Frontier playoffs where they have a bye into next Friday night's semifinals. That game will be at 6 p.m. in the Armory Gymnasium.

Senior night wasn't as kind to the Northern men. Trying to beat Rocky for a third time proved to be too much for the Lights, who fell to the Battlin' Bears 75-58 in the Armory Gymnasium.

Northern started strong, with nine lead changes in the first 10 minutes. But, behind three's from Riley Bradshaw and Zach Hinton, the Bears went on a 13-3 run, led 42-29 at halftime and never looked back.

The Bears made eight three's, and Bradshaw finished with 17. Northern got 13 from David Straughter.

Still, the Lights, who were swept in their regular season finale homestand, finished 9-9 and tied with the Bears for fourth in the Frontier. MSU-N also had the tiebreaker over RMC, and will host the Bears again in the first round of the Frontier playoffs Wednesday night.