Frontier Notebook: Frontier titles coming down to the wire in new-look season

Just two weeks remain in the Frontier Conference regular season. Normally, the season goes a week longer, and the Frontier playoffs stretch into March, but with the NAIA national tournaments expanded to 64 teams, the end of the regular season will come a little sooner.

And the end of the Frontier season will mean a photo finish on both the women's and men's sides.

Heading into this week, the Rocky Mountain College women have a one-game lead over both Providence and Carroll College. Head coach Wes Keller's team has put together a strong season, and they are now 10-2 heading into a big road game at MSU-Northern Thursday night, and perhaps an even bigger showdown with the Fighting Saints Saturday night in Helena. Rocky will close out the regular season with home game against Western next Thursday night, and though the lead is just one, the fact that the Bears don't play the Argos again, leave them in the driver's seat for the Frontier title.

The Frontier men's title will also go down to the wire, but it's just a two-team race.

Winners of nine straight games, Montana Tech is now 11-1 and in first place in the league standings. The Orediggers, though, have just a one-game lead over Carroll College, which is 10-2. But, as close as the race is, the two teams won't have to wait long to settle the score, as they meet Thursday night in Helena. If Tech gets out of Helena with a win, the Diggers could essentially lock up the No. 1 seed in the Frontier playoffs. But, if Carroll holds serve at home, all bets are off.

The Saints' last two games include a trip to Rocky Saturday and a visit to UP next Thursday. Tech hosts the Argos Saturday night, followed by a home game against Northern next Thursday.

High Scorers

The race for the league scoring champions is also coming down to the end of the regular season. On the men's side, Providence' Marcus Stephens averages 21 points per game, while Carroll's Jovan Sjlivancanin scores 20 and Northern's Mascio McCadney averages 19. MSU-N's David Harris is fourth in the league in scoring at 17 points per outing. Sjlivancanin is well out in front for the rebounding title with his 11 per night.

On the women's side, RMC's N'Dea Flye may win both the scoring and rebounding titles. The impressive RMC star guard averages 22 points and 10 rebounds per game for the Battlin' Bears. UP's Emilee Maldonado is second in the league in scoring at 17 points per game, while Northern's Sydney Hovde is second in rebounding at 10 per night.

Another 2,000 point clubber

UP's Maldonado scored her 2,000 career point Saturday as the 16th ranked University of Providence women's basketball team cruised past MSU-Northern 76-64 in the McLaughlin Center. Maldonado and teammate Parker Esary are now two of 10 Frontier Conference women's basketball players who have reached 2,000 points from the conference. Five of those 10 are from Lewis-Clark State and Westminster, who are no longer in the conference. The Argos now have three 2,000 point-scorers - Esary, Maldonado and all-time leading scorer Erin Legel.

Frontier Honors

Carroll College's Jovan Sljivancanin was named Frontier Conference Men's Player of the Week.

Sljivancanin averaged 26.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He was 21 of 40 from the field (52.5 percent), 5 of 12, 3-pt field goals and was 6 of 8 from the free throw line.

RMC's N'Dea Flye was named Frontier Women's Player of the Week. Flye averaged 26.5 points, 11 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. She was 21 of 42 (5 of 12, 3-pt) from the field and 6 of 7 from the free throw line. No. 18 Rocky went 2-0 for the week. The Bears scored a road upset of No. 16 Providence 59-45 and at home, downed Montana Tech 74-60.