Frontier Fun: Skylights brace for mighty Carroll

Their first games got called off due to COVID-19. Then came the long holiday break. So the wait to play Frontier Conference basketball has been a long one for the Montana State University-Northern Skylights.

The wait however, is over.

Tonight, Northern makes its long-awaited conference debut when the Skylights (1-3) host No. 6 Carroll College (2-0, 8-1) in the first of back-to-back meetings in the Armory Gymnasium.

"It will be nice to be back on the court," Northern head coach Chris Mouat said. "We have not played in a long time so it's been good to be back in the gym practicing. We have had a lot of stops and starts to the season, so we're just hoping to get into a bit of a rhythm as we head into conference play."

Stops and starts have been par for the course as Northern basketball navigates the pandemic. The Skylights last played Dec. 12 when they dropped a pair of tough games at home to former Frontier rival Lewis-Clark State. So while Northern's first two official league games, at Rocky Mountain College back on Dec. 5-6 got canceled, the Skylights, at the very least, have played similar-type games against LC, because the Warriors are every bit still a quality Frontier style opponent.

And yet, this week's games will be a different animal for the Skylights. Carroll is the darling of the Frontier, and not only are the Fighting Saints absolutely loaded, they've managed to play the most league games, and overall games of any team in the Frontier thus far.

"Carroll will have nine games under their belt before we play them, which is a lot given the situation that most of our teams have been in," Mouat said. "They've played well and have plenty of experience and depth at every position. We will need to do a great job on the boards, find their shooters and take care of the basketball. Carroll defends well in both man and zone, so it will be vital that we execute and get good shots."

Carroll is talented and experienced. With returners like All-American Christine Denny, as well as veterans Jayden Lyman, Kamden Hillborn and Maddie Geritz, as well as former Montana transfer Jamie Pickens, the big, athletic, high-scoring, defensive-minded Saints are as tough a squad as Northern, and the rest of the Frontier will see this season.

Oh yeah, and they just so happen to have another All-American, former Havre Blue Pony great Dani Wagner. So far in her senior season, Wagner has been playing at a high level, averaging a Carroll-high 15 points to go along with six rebounds.

"Dani Wagner has been off the charts this year," Mouat said. "She leads them in scoring and has been shooting the ball extremely well from the 3-point line. She's really improved throughout her career getting to the rim and finishing, and she is a great free throw shooter.

"Carroll is a highly ranked team for many reasons," Mouat continued. "They are very deep inside and on the perimeter, they are a great offensive rebounding team, and they defend. They execute well on offense and have a ton of weapons. Carroll returned a ton of great players from a very good team last year, and Jamie Pickens is a huge addition for them from the University of Montana. Pickens, Wagner and Christine Denny all average double figures and have played really well for them this season, but they have a bunch of kids that contribute in big ways at both ends for them."

No question, the Fighting Saints are really good, and playing them on back-to-back nights under the new Frontier schedule will be even more daunting. Still, the Skylights are no pushover either.

McKenzie Gunter and Peyton Kehr are off to strong starts this winter, while veteran post player Sydney Hovde is one of the best rebounders in the league. Add to that the sharp-shooting of Allix Goldhahn, and a ton of veterans players on what has become a very deep Skylight team, and Northern will be as tough as nails as the season goes on. The Skylights, though, need games to get there, and that starts with the tall order of hosting Carroll over the next two nights.

"We are excited about the opportunity to play, and know that we have two very challenging games ahead," Mouat said. "I really like this group and appreciate how they have handled things no matter what has been thrown at them."

Northern and Carroll will meet tonight and Tuesday night at 5 p.m. in the Armory Gymnasium. The Frontier Conference is currently continuing its no-spectator attendance policy, so the games can be viewed online by going to http://www.golightsgo.com .