Western gets the better of the Lights at Armory Gymnasium

Normally, the confines of the Armory Gymnasium are very kind to the Montana State University-Northern men's basketball team. But to start 2023 it was anything but.

After a gut-wrenching loss to Rocky Mountain College to open 2023 last Thursday night, the Lights lost their second straight Frontier Conference game, as they fell to Montana Western 73-65 Saturday afternoon in Havre. The loss dropped Northern to 1-3 in the league, and was a tough one according to MSU-N head coach Shawn Huse.

"Well you have to give credit to Western," Huse said. "They came in and did what they needed to do on both ends. They did what it took."

It was a back-and-forth affair with the Bulldogs, who improved to 2-2 in conference play., Western got a pair of early 3-pointers from Kyle Kouba. However, Zackary Martinez made a pair of bombs of his own, and Northern took the lead at 28-27, and would eventually nose in front 33-32 at halftime.

For much of the second half, things were just as tight.

The combination of another three from Martinez, a triple by Anthony Bragg Jr., and a steal and dunk from him as well, catapulted Northern to a 50-48 advantage with nine minutes left. The Dawgs responded with a 7-0 run. The Lights answered right back and when Martinez made a runner with 4:31 to go, the Lights led, but that would be their final lead of the night. Western would retake the lead with triples from Brenton Woods and Jamal Stephenson as the Dawgs outscored the Lights 14-4 in the final four minutes of the game.

Woods and Grayson Nelson would combine for 25 points, while the Dawgs shot a sizzling 50 percent, made six treys and out-rebounded Northern 36-21. The Lights, meanwhile, did shoot 43 percent from the floor, getting 18 points from Martinez. Jesse Keltner had a double-double with 13 points and 13 boards, as MSU-N fell to 12-5 overall.

Northern now has a long, four-game Frontier road trip ahead of it, starting with a Thursday night game at nationally-ranked Montana Tech. The Lights won't be back at home until Jan. 26 when they host the Bulldogs in a rematch.

"We just have to go back to the lab and see what needs improvement, adjustments, and changes," Huse said. "I strongly feel both games could have gone either way. All you can do is get back to work and that's one thing this team knows how to do."

Montana Western 73, Lights 65

MW - Brenton Woods 18, Tanner Haverfield 2. Michael Haverfield 6, Grayson Nelson 17, Ky Kouba 12, Jamal Stephenson 7, Jok Jok 4, Jaden Graham 3, Jackson Buckley 4. Totals: 28-56 11-12.

MSU-N 0 Myles Dalton 3, Immanuel Anderson 2, Zackery Martinez 18, C.J. Nelson 5, Jesse Keltner 13, DaeKwon Watson 9, Tanner McCliment-Call 3, Anthony Braggs Jr. 7, Micaiah Hauser 5. Totals: 23-53 13-18.

Halftime: Northern 33-32. 3-pointers: 6-16 (Woods 1, M./ Haverfield 1, Stephenson 1, Graham 1), MSU-N 6-17 (Dalton 1, Martinez 2, Nelson 1, Braggs Jr. 1, Hauser 1). Rebounds: MW 30 (Nelson 7), MSU-N 23 (Keltner 13); Fouls: MW 14, MSU-N 14. Fouled out: None.