Lights open the hoops season Saturday night

Last weekend, it was the Montana State University-Northern women who kicked off their 2018-18 basketball season, and the Skylights did so with a win.

This weekend, it's the men's turn to get things started.

Saturday night, the Lights will make their season debut when they host Salish Kootenai College at 6 p.m. inside the Armory Gymnasium. Right off the bat, Northern head coach Shawn Huse said, his new-look team should be tested.

"They're (Bison) very talented this year," Huse said. "They've already played really well against Frontier Conference competition. This is going to be a tough first game for us, and one we're going to have to play very well in."

The Lights are indeed looking to get the new season off on the right foot, and while Northern has a host of familiar names back in the fold, including seniors Justin Dunsmore and Caulin Bakalarski, as well as standout junior guards Adam Huse and Devin Bray, Northern fans in attendance Saturday night will also see plenty of new faces.

Guards Mascio McCadney (6-3) and Kamari Burnside (6-0) will be instrumental in making Northern's backcourt even deeper, but the addition of three transfers on the front line will be huge for the Lights, especially with the loss of two-time Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and NAIA All-American Ryan Reeves, who averaged 16 points and nine rebounds and set Northern's all-time record for blocked shots. Those new additions in the paint include junior Cedric Crutchfield (6-8), who plays long and strong on both ends of the floor, junior Joe Fons (6-6) and junior Kavon Bey (6-5).

That's what Saturday night's game with SKC, and much of the early portion of Northern's schedule will be about - the Lights coming together as a new team. And it's a team rich with talent, athleticism and a blend of experience and fresh faces.

"I really like this team from a standpoint of they're a very efficient group," Huse said. "They are all high-percentage, low-mistake players. They play smart and have a lot of basketball intelligence. And that fits with what we want to do, which is play tough defense, take smart shots, shoot for a high percentage from the field and the free-throw-line, and get after it with the hustle plays. I know that's the not the most glamorous type of basketball, but it's the type of basketball that gives you a chance to be great and this group does that."

Skylights stay on the road

While the Lights are at home making their season debut, the Northern women will play two more road games before they get to play in the Armory. This weekend, the Skylights (1-0) will be in Washington for the Adidas Northwest Classic, where they'll play games against Cascade Conference members, Northwest University and Northwest Christian University.

MSU-N head coach Chris Mouat is looking for his team to continue to make strides after the short-handed Skylights beat Mount Royal last Friday night in Great Falls. But, he says, neither Cascade rival will make it easy on his new-look squad.

"Northwest University has a very strong program," Mouat said. "They have two really talented returners, but they also have a handful of new kids, too. But they'll be tough. Northwest Christian has a new coach. He coached in the NWACC before going there, and he's very highly respected. They also have a ton of new faces on their roster, so we won't know a whole lot about them. But we expect both teams to present plenty of challenges for us."

To counter those challenges, Mouat should have several players back in the lineup he didn't have last week. Allix Goldhahn and Tiara Gilham were out with injuries against Mount Royal, and while the Skylights won't get senior forward Jessica Curl back until the volleyball season is over, he says his team should be a bit more well-rounded this weekend.

"Hopefully we'll be closer to full strength," Mouat said. "We've had some injuries early on, but I think we'll have a couple of more kids this weekend, so that will help. But we know these two games will be challenging, and that's what we want right now, as we continue to learn and grow."

The Skylights play Northwest tonight at 7 and Northwest Christian Saturday at 4:30 p.m. with both games in Kirkland, Wash. Saturday night's game between the Lights and Salish Kootenai will tip at 6 p.m. in the Armory Gymnasium.