Newly-ranked Skylights look to continue winning ways in road games
By Ryan Divish/Havre Daily News Sports Editor/rdivish@havredailynews.com
Being ranked in the NAIA top 25 basketball poll is definitely an accomplishment
for the Montana State University-Northern women's basketball team.
It's a reward for all of the hard work and success that the Skylight have experienced this season, particularly in the last few
weeks.
But being ranked isn't just compensation, it's an
invitation for opponents to play their best basketball against you.
Northern, 19-6 overall and 5-2 in conference, is ranked 25th this week and will
be put to the test this weekend in a pair of tough Frontier Conference road
games. The Skylights will face Montana Tech tonight at
"Obviously we know about it and it's a reward for the work we've put in
this season," said Skylight head coach
Perhaps no team knows that philosophy better than the Skylights, who knocked
off UM-Western and
Of course, those two wins came in the friendly
confines of the MSU-Northern gymnasium where the Skylights are a perfect 10-0.
All of Northern's six losses came on the road, including their most recent, a
pair of tough losses at
For the Skylights to stay ranked and more importantly contend for a Frontier
Conference title, they must find a way to win on the road.
"We know we've struggled on the road," Erickson said. "It's all
about our mental approach. We can't come out and fall behind and expect to come
back on the road.
"We have to come out and play like we're 10 points down from the opening
tip."
Erickson expects that mentality tonight even against a Tech squad with 1-6
record in conference and a 4-17 record overall.
"We can't go in there overlooking a team like Tech," he said.
"They are playing with a lot of confidence and a nothing-to-lose attitude.
They are dangerous."
Erickson doesn't need a long memory to remember a similar situation. Two years
ago, his team was 6-1 and atop the conference standings, before strolling into
Tech's HPER Complex and getting unceremoniously bounced.
"We've had our problems in that gym," he said. "You look at the
way conference play has been and you know it can happen."
Tech does a have a solid nucleus of starters with seniors Letty Powell and
Kaila Fowler and junior Marcie Alzheimer
Powell is a three-year starter, who had 23 points, including six 3-pointers
against Northern earlier this season. Fowler is leading the Diggers in scoring
at 12.2 points per game. Alzheimer is adding 10.3 points and 7.7 rebounds a
game.
As a team, Tech is scoring just 58.5 points per game, while giving up 76.1
points per game.
While Friday night's game will be difficult, Saturday's game with UM-Western is
going to be a dogfight.
The Bulldogs, who were ranked 22nd in NAIA at the time, will be out for a
little revenge for an 88-87 loss on Jan. 7 in Havre.
"We're going to be ready," Erickson said. "We know we're going
into a hostile environment against a team that really wants to beat us. But we
want to prove that we're capable of beating good teams on the road."
Western may not be ranked at the moment, but that doesn't mean the Bulldogs
aren't considered one of the best teams in the conference.
Even if Western isn't the best team, it might be the biggest. The Bulldogs are
led by twin tower posts Jill Feller and Katherine Sunwall.
Feller, who stands 6-4, is fourth in the conference in scoring at 16.5 points
per game and first in rebounding at 9.6 rebounds. She is also shooting 61
percent from the field.
Sunwall is listed at 6-2 and is averaging 14.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per
game. The duo combined for 40 points and 24 rebounds in the loss to Northern.
"We don't want to get into slow paced game with them because of their size
inside," Erickson said. "We want to push the tempo and get them into
a transition game."
Northern was able to do that last game by using a stifling full-court press
that forced the Bulldogs into 25 turnovers and changed the complexion of the
game. But don't look for the Skylights to use it quite as often again.
"We know they've been preparing for us to press all game," Erickson
said. "But we're going to use it sparingly. We used it the first time to
get us back into the game."
One thing that must change for Northern is rebounding. Western outrebounded the Skylights 42-24, including a ridiculous 25
offensive rebounds.
"We can't have that happen again and expect to win," Erickson said.
"We have to be better on the boards."
But it isn't just rebounding. Erickson know his team
must be better in every facet of the game.
"We have to raise our level of play and go out there and fight for two
wins," he said.