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Skylights host Rocky Mountain, Carroll College
By Ryan Divish/Havre Daily News Sports Editor/rdivish@havredailynews.com
The Montana State University-Northern women's basketball team never ceases
to amaze to its head coach Mike Erickson.
Just when Erickson and his assistant Warren Quick think they have just
watched the ugliest basketball game ever, the Skylights go out and top it.
But even Erickson admits, that it can't get any uglier than last weekend's
52-50 loss to UM-Western. Instead, he is hoping after that low point, that
things will only get better especially this weekend as the Skylights host
Rocky Mountain College on Friday and Carroll College on Saturday.
"It seems like I keep saying the same thing over and over every
week," Erickson said. "It all comes down to which team is going to
show up to play."
Is it going to be the offensively challenged squad that managed just 16
first-half points on a six for 36 shooting performance against Western? Or is
it going to be the resilient team that shook off a shaky early start against
Montana Tech, and played inspired basketball in the second half to pick up
its second conference win of the season?
Erickson only wishes he had an answer. It's anyone guess. But he has seen
hints that the latter team will show up this weekend. The Skylights have a
had solid week of practice including a three-day stretch where Erickson said
his team matured more than it has the whole season. Still, every team is
undefeated in practice, including the Skylights.
"We've been practicing hard all week and
all year," Erickson said. "But we're not carrying it over to game
situations. If we play like we practice, we can win a lot of games in this
conference."
It basically comes down to the Skylights learning how to win. Winning is easy
enough when you shoot 60 percent from the field and you're hitting
three-pointers. But it isn't quite as easy when shots aren't falling. That's
where defense comes in. It's the one consistent thing the Skylights have been
able to count on this season.
Northern is holding teams to a conference-best 58.7 points per game and 38
percent shooting from the field. Unlike last year, the Skylights aren't doing
it with a harassing full-court defense. Instead, Northern is using a stingy,
physical half-court look with a little bit of zone mixed in with some
half-court trapping.
In last year's matchup in Havre, Rocky capitalized on the full-court pressure
to get some open looks and capitalized by going on a 34-10 run to open the
game.
Obviously, Erickson doesn't think that will happen again this year,
especially playing a half-court defense instead of a full-court style. Don't
let the 0-3 conference record fool you, Rocky has plenty of weapons to do so
if the Skylights aren't ready defensively.
"They are basically a five-guard offense," Erickson said.
"They may not all be guards, but they shoot like them. Everyone is
capable of shooting from the three-point line."
Rocky has sank 109 three-pointers in 19 games this season and is led by the
Griffith sisters, Ashley and Amber, who combine for more than 24 points per
game.
Amber Griffith is fifth in the conference in scoring at 16.4 points per game
and leads the Frontier in field goal percentage, shooting a solid 55 percent
from the field. Ashley Griffith is averaging 8.3 points per game, but is
capable of scoring in bunches as evidenced by her 28 point, five
three-pointer performance against Northern last year.
Rocky gets nine points a game from Mandy Norby and eight points a game from
former Big Sandy standout Katherine Bitz. However, it is another local player
that plays probably the biggest factor in the Bears' success. Sophomore Jamie
Graham has the unenviable task of filling the shoes of point guard and former
Skylight Jenny Balgua, who went down with a season-ending injury before it
even began.
"Jenny really brought a lot of intensity and team leadership,"
Erickson said. "The rest of their players really fed off her last year.
They've got a young point guard in Graham. But it's basically like coming
home for her so you know she'll be ready to play."
Graham is averaging 6.7 points and 3.4 assists per game. However, Erickson
also pointed out she is averaging over four turnovers a game and hopes that
some defensive pressure could lead to more.
"We're going to mix up our defenses," he said. "We're going to
try and make them spend some time figuring out what we're in."
One place where Erickson believes his team can exploit Rocky is on the
boards. The Bears aren't extremely big inside and are last in the conference
in rebounding at 30.4 rebounds per game. Northern is third in the conference
in rebounding at 36.8 per game, a number Erickson thinks should be higher.
"We don't need to win the rebounding, we need to dominate,"
Erickson said. "We're one of the biggest team in the conference and
we're not rebounding that well. It comes down to heart, intensity and hustle
to get rebounds."
Looking at the schedule and the standings, it would be easy to think that
Northern might be looking past Rocky for Saturday night's matchup with the
conference leading Carroll College Saints. But Erickson won't even let his
team think about it for a second.
"We have to focus on the first game," Erickson said. "We're
not in a position to overlook anyone. Besides we've played Carroll once so we
know what they are all about."
What the Saints are all about is offense. Carroll is averaging 78.3 points
per game under first-year head coach Shawn Nelson. The Saints are running an
offense similar to the recent men's Carroll teams. It features plenty of ball
movement, solid screens and a myriad of three-point shots.
"Carroll puts more pressure on defenses than anyone in the league,"
Erickson said. "They have three and four players than can not only
score, but score well and score often. Who do you key on?"
Well, there are two players that he could start with - senior Tara Zoanni and
sophomore Emili Woody.
Zoanni is second in the Frontier in scoring at 18.5 points per game. She also
is shooting 41 percent from three-point range and has made 50 triples on the
season. Woody is eighth in the conference in scoring at 14.7 points per game.
She also leads the conference in rebounding at a gaudy 10.3 per game,
including 5.2 offensive rebounds per game.
"They run a lot of the same sets that the men ran in the past,"
Erickson said. "And they run them to perfection. They don't turn the
ball over and get a shot on every possession. And if they are hitting their
shots look out."
Northern will have to play its best defense of the season. Erickson said
mental lapses such as losing your man and not communicating on screens are
unacceptable and a quick way to find a loss.
The Skylights already own an 89-77 loss to Carroll on the Saints' home floor
during the Frontier Conference Tip-off Tournament. The game was a foul
festival with refs blowing the teams for 59 fouls and the two teams combining
to shoot 76 free throws in the game.
"I hope there isn't going to be that many fouls called again,"
Erickson said. "But I know it was a close game for much of the contest
and we didn't play our best basketball, or shoot free throws very well in
that game."
One thing is for certain this weekend. Erickson is going to play the players
who are playing with the most heart, intensity and passion. He made his point
last weekend, benching two starters and changing the lineups around.
"I hope it sent a message to both our starters and bench players,"
Erickson said. "The players that play the hardest are going to be on the
floor."
Both games this weekend will tip off at 6 p.m. at the MSU-Northern gym and
can be heard on 92.5 KPQX-FM.
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