Skylights face busy weekend against UGF, Augustana
By Ryan Divish/Havre Daily News Sports Editor/rdivish@havredailynews.com
Conference records won't be on the line, but don't think for a second that
tonight's nonconference matchup
between the Montana State University-Northern women's basketball team and the
It's the nature of the beast when two rivals like Northern and UGF meet. The
two teams have developed a competitive, if not friendly, rivalry since the
It's not often that two conference teams meet in a nonconference
setting, but Skylights head coach
"We did our scheduling along with UGF this year," he said. "And
we both came up a game short. So we decided to play each other. We go down
there this year, and they'll come up here next year."
Northern fans certainly won't mind an extra match-up with the
UGF almost knocked off Northern on its home floor, but finally succumbed 78-71.
"They played us tougher each time we
played them last year," Erickson said. "They gave us all we could
handle in the playoff."
UGF figures to be even better under second-year head coach Roger Hatler.
The
The versatile Freeman isn't a shooter or a penetrator, she's just a
flat scorer. She finds ways to get baskets, it's that simple. Freeman was
second in the conference in scoring last year and is seventh at 14.6 points per
game this year.
Neill, as most Skylight fans know from her days with the team, is a deadly
shooter, who can get very hot from the outside very quickly. She scored 47
points in a game this season and is averaging 14.9 points per game this year.
McPherson, a former HHS standout, had her best game of last season against the
Skylights in the playoffs, scoring 23 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. This year
she's already bested those totals on several occasion
and has turned into a force inside, shooting 53 percent from the field and
pulling down 6.8 rebounds per game.
"Obviously, we know we have to defend Freeman and Neill because they are
dangerous scorers," Erickson said. "But McPherson scares me a little.
She hurt us in the playoffs last year and is really becoming a presence inside.
She should be even better because she has some help inside."
That help would be 5-10 forward Dana Ball, who has given UGF another inside
presence to compliment McPherson and the shooters. Ball is averaging 14.2
points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
"They are much more balanced this year," Erickson said. "Last
year, you had to shut the two girls down, this year it's different. We need to
get real physical with them and not allow them get into their offensive
sets."
Northern will counter all of that firepower with its balanced offensive attack
led by Megan Valgardson, Jessi
Reome and Jaci Heny.
Valgardson had some of her biggest games against UGF
last season and is averaging 13 points and 7.2 rebounds a game. Erickson is
counting on her and DeLayne Johnston scoring inside again.
"We beat them up inside last year," Erickson said. "Hopefully we
can do that again because it will open things up for our shooters."
Heny and Reome are
combining to average close to 27 points per game, and have shot the ball
particularly well as of late.
"We need step our level of play," Erickson said. "This game is
going to have conference-game feel and we need be ready for it. We can't look
past them. They are scary team that's playing with a lot of confidence."
Northern's weekend won't be finished on Friday. The
Skylights will return home to face
The Thunder come to Havre with a 9-3 record and are led by forward Pamela Reinke, who averages 13.7 and 8.6 rebounds per game, and
guard Paige Gaudreau, who chips in with 12.5 points
per game.
"I don't know much about them," Erickson admitted. "I talked a
few coaches and I think they will be similar to the