Northern hoops home for the Holidays

With Christmas in the rearview mirror, the Montana State University-Northern men's and women's basketball teams will get right back to work.

The Lights and Skylights return from the holiday break with the Duck Inn Holiday Classic Saturday and Sunday afternoon in the Armory Gymnasium. Northern is playing host to the University of Alberta-Augustana, with games at noon and 2 p.m. each day.

For the No. 11 Skylights (11-1), the two games against the Vikings will be their final two non-conference games of what has been a stellar season thus far.

MSU-N, under veteran head coach Chris Mouat, has just one loss thus far and already has Top 25 wins over Vanguard University, Corban and Rocky Mountain College. Northern is also off to a 2-0 start in Frontier Conference play, which resumes next week.

And a huge reason why the Skylights have started so strong is their defense. MSU-N comes into the weekend allowing just 48 points per game, which is top in the NAIA. Overall, Northern's defense ranked in the Top 5 in the NAIA in seven different categories.

But the Skylight's offense has been no slouch either. New point guard Mckenzie Gunter, who is currently out with an injury, got the Skylights off to a hot start, but so many others have followed suit. Last week in Arizona, Peyton Kehr scored in double figures in three straight, while Allix Goldhahn had back-to-back double-figure outings. And veterans Hailey Nicholson and Tiara Gilham are both averaging in double digits, while starting forward Sydney Hovde is a force in the paint, and shooting guard Kenya Lorton is a threat to hit from deep whenever she touches the ball.

And that will be on full display this weekend in the Armory as the Skylights play their final tune-ups before the Frontier season begins for good.

Currently, Northern is the only women's team in the Frontier that is 2-0, and, the Skylights are ranked the highest among five Frontier teams currently rated in the NAIA Coaches Poll. Northern will begin league play again Jan. 7 when the Skylights host Carroll College.

Meanwhile, the Northern men have also had a strong non-conference slate. Head coach Shawn Huse' club got off to a 6-0 start, before a tough loss in overtime to Rocky Mountain College. Still, the Lights are poised for a big winter, and just like the Skylights, the defense is a big reason why.

For much of the fall, Northern was leading the NAIA in scoring defense, and heading into this weekend's games, the Lights (8-3) are in the Top 10 in the NAIA in seven different defensive categories.

Offensively, the Lights have been up-and-down, but the explosiveness is there for everyone to see. Scoring nearly 80 points per game the Lights have three starters in double figures in Kavon Bey (15 ppg), Mascio McCadney (14 ppg) and Adam Huse (12 ppg). But Northern's offensive depth gives the Lights much balance, too. Cedric Crutchfield, Devin Bray, Gio Jackson, Jesse Keltner and David Harris combine to average between six and nine points a game for the Lights, and, overall, MSU-N is getting more than 30 points per outing from its bench, which includes the play of James Fry and T.J. Reynolds, too.

And that depth will be needed moving forward. This weekend, plus a Jan. 1 home game, will be the final games before the Lights start Frontier play for good. Northern re-opens league play with a home game against Carroll College Jan. 7, and it's a league slate that will be a nightly fight for the Lights and everyone else. So, coach Huse knows the two games against the Vikings this weekend will be important to help his team transition to conference play.

The Lights play Augustana at 2 p.m. Saturday and again 2 p.m. Sunday, while the Skylights face the Vikings at noon each day. The Duck Inn Holiday Classic will take place at the Armory Gymnasium.