Lights cruise in season-opener

The Montana State University-Northern Lights waited a long time for their regular season to get here. Nine weeks in fact. So forgive them if they were just a little excited to finally be playing a real basketball game.

And that excitement turned into a dominant performance by the Lights, who won their season opener 100-54 against Providence University of Manitoba, Sunday afternoon in the Armory Gymnasium.

“Happy for our guys,” Northern head coach Shawn Huse said. “They were excited to play, and they deserved to play well, and they did, because it was a long preseason. They deserved to have a good game today, and I’m happy for them.”

Providence, not to be confused with the Light’s arch rival from Great Falls, also gave the Lights a good look at the onset. The Pilots took a brief 10-9 lead, but, it wouldn't take long for Northern to not only erase the deficit but also to march past it.

Adam Huse and Mascio McCadney sparked what would eventually be a 23-0 run by the Lights, that took them from leading 16-13 to ahead 39-13 late in the first half. Jesse Keltner and Kavon Bey also did damage on the inside, helping the Lights take a 48-19 lead into halftime.

“Credit this Providence team,” coach Huse said. “They came in here after playing a late game last night in Great Falls, and they challenged us. They played hard and they put up a good fight.”

The Pilots did fight, but it wasn’t enough against the 19th-ranked team in the NAIA,

Devin Bray opened the second half with a 3-pointer, and big dunks by McCadney and Keltner helped put an exclamation point on an exciting season-opening win for the Lights.

“It was good; we played good,” coach Huse said. “We moved the ball well, guys were unselfish, and everybody showed a little bit of what they bring to this team. So I really liked how we played.”

The Lights did share the ball, with four players in double figures, including Bey, who led all scorers with 26 points. McCadney added 24 points, while Adam Huse hit four of Northern’s eight triples on his way to 17. Keltner added a double-double in his MSU-N debut, with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

The Lights (1-0) will get to stay home for their next game, too. MSU-N hosts Dickinson State Friday night in a hoops doubleheader in the Armory Gymnasium. The Lights then travel to Missoula to face the Montana Grizzlies next Sunday.

Lights 100, Providence 54

PU - Blake Garing 0-1 0-0 0, Bryant Smith 3-11 2-2 9, Jorsan Lawson 10-20 3-4 26, Daniel Kilmartin 5-11 0-0 10, Glenn Pronteau 2-5 0-0 5, Waedon Dueck 1-4 0-0 2, William Dueck 0-0 0-0 0, Lucas Mack 1-5 0-3 2. Totals 22-57 5-9 54

MSU-N - Gio Jackson 2-7 0-0 4, David Harris 2-4 0-0 4, Mascio McCadney 11-12 1-1 24, Adam Huse 5-9 3-3 17, Jesse Keltner 5-6 0-1 10, Kavon Bey 11-14 1-2 25, Devin Bray 2-6 0-0 5, James Fry 0-6 2-4 2, TJ Reynolds 2-6 2-2 6, Cedric Crutchfield 1-3 1-2 3. Totals 41-73 10-15 100.

3-pt FG:Providence University Co 5-16 (Smith 1-2, Lawson 3-10, Pronteau 1-4), Montana State University- 8-24 (Jackson 0-2, Harris 0-1, McCadney 1-2, Huse 4-6, Bey 2-4, Bray 1-2, Fry 0-3, Reynolds 0-4). Rebounds: Providence University Co 21 (Lawson 7), Montana State University- 47 (Keltner 13). Fouls Providence University Co 16, Montana State University- 14. Fouled out: Pronteau Crutchfield . Technical: none.