Frontier Notebook: Northern's Adam Huse joins 1,000-point club

The Frontier Conference basketball season started last month, but, on Tuesday night, it started for good.

And for the Montana State University-Northern men's and women's basketball teams, the 2020 portion of the Frontier season got off to a rough start.

However, tonight in Great Falls, the Skylights and Lights can do something about that, as they take on the University of Providence Argos.

For the Lights (1-2, 11-4), tonight's game is a big one, as they don't want to fall too far behind in the Frontier standings. However, they're also taking on their second-straight Top 25 opponent, as the undefeated Argos hold their highest ranking ever, coming in at No. 8 in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll.

The Argos are rising in the polls thanks to as much talent as they may have ever had, including Montana Western transfer Zach Darko-Kelly, who sat out last season when Steve Keller left Dillon to take the UP job. Darko-Kelly is currently leading the Frontier in scoring (21 ppg), steals (3 spyg) and blocks (2 bpg) and he's third in the league in rebounding. And with a talented supporting cast around him, it's no wonder why the Argos have yet to lose a game.

First in Great Falls, though, is a showdown between the No. 11 Skylights (2-1, 13-2) and the Argos, who are receiving votes in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll. Like the UP men, the Argo women have players putting up huge numbers in the league thus far. Parker Esary is averaging 16 points and six rebounds per game, while Bailey Cartwright (6-1) averages a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds per night, and, Frontier Preseason Player of the Year Emilee Maldonado is scoring 14 points per night.

"They're very explosive offensively," Northern head coach Chris Mouat said. "They present a lot of difficult matchups."

And matchups are what the Frontier is all about. And Northern is on the back end of a weird week in which the Lights and Skylights play two arch rivals while still having the weekend off.

Tonight's games in Great Falls start with the women at 5:30 and the men to follow at 7:30 inside the McLaughlin Center.

Last Time

The Lewis-Clark State Warriors are leaving the Frontier Conference after this season, and, they're trying to go out on top.

So far, the LCSC, men haven compiled a 13-1 overall record and are 1-1 in league play as January begins. LCSC has been, at the very least, a Frontier men's title contender and a perennial national tourney team for years, and, in the Warriors' last season in the league, it appears they are again.

At 9-3 and 1-1 in league play, the LCSC women are no slouches either. The Warriors have won a host of league championships under legendary head coach Brian Orr, and have made countless trips to the national tournament, and, they start they're off to this winter, it looks like they could do that one more time.

After this season, LC State will rejoin the Cascade Conference.

Players of the Week

Montana Tech's Taylor England was named, not just the Frontier Player of the Week, but also the NAIA Men's Player of the Week. The 6-7 England averaged 23.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, one blocks and three steals. He was 23 of 26 from the field (89 percent). Northern's Adam Huse, who was honored Tuesday night for reaching Northern's 1,000-point club, was also nominated for the award.