Skylights return to the court in Wolf Point
George Ferguson
Havre Daily News sports editor
gferguson@havredailynews.com
The Montana State University-Northern Skylights haven't played a basketball
game for more than three weeks. To some, it might have well been a year ago,
given what the team has been through.
The last time Northern took the floor, they played valiantly in a 10-point loss
to
That accident and the plight of the Northern basketball team has been well
chronicled. And while the effects from the accident still linger, it is time
for the healing process to begin. Part of that process begins on Saturday night
when the Skylights square off against Rocky Mountain College in Wolf Point in a
nonconference game.
Northern's last three scheduled games over the
past two weeks were cancelled due to the accident. But MSU-N first-year head
coach Chris Mouat said the time has come for his team to start putting its
basketball season back together.
“We are going down to
Preparation to play on Saturday will be short for the Skylights, much like
their bench. The accident left guards Chelsie Searle and Ashlie Griffin with
injuries that will keep them out for the remainder of the season. The Skylights
were already short-handed after they lost forward Jayla McPherson to a
season-ending knee injury.
For practice purposes, Mouat picked up MSU-Northern volleyball standout and
former Havre High basketball player Jeanna McPherson as well former Skylight
Heather Reiner and former
“As far as basketball and practice is concerned, everything has been really
good,” he said. “All the credit for that goes to the kids on this team.
“We have only had three practices, but they have been doing great things on the
floor,” he added. “And they have shown a lot of resiliency. It is amazing to
see how this team has turned everything so positive.”
Of course, practice has not been easy. The trio of new players has been forced
to come up to speed with Mouat's system. Still, Mouat said, even the transition
of adding three new players has been something that has gone well.
“The kids we brought in are doing everything they can, and they are doing a
great job with everything we have asked them to do,” Mouat said. “And sometimes
it is a lot.
“But we feel very fortunate to have found all of them,” he added. “All three of
them work really hard every day and they have added the depth to our practices
that we really needed in order to get things going again.”
Getting things going on the basketball court is exactly what Mouat and the
Skylights want to do. No one is forgetting the accident or their injured
teammates. But just playing basketball again is a major step for this team, and
a return to somewhat of a normal life.
“It is hard at practice when we look around and girls that we all love and are
used to having there are not there with us,” Mouat said. “But it is the right
time for us to start playing basketball again, and I think the girls are really
looking forward to just being on the floor again.”
While bystanders might think that just playing again is enough of an
accomplishment for the Skylights, Mouat and his team aren't looking at it that
way. Before the season began, Northern was picked to be among the upper-tier
teams in the Frontier Conference this season. Now, with three of its top 10
players gone, it would be easy to write the team off. But no one inside the
MSU-N program is thinking any such thing.
“Our leadership on this team is outstanding and it starts with the seniors,”
Mouat said. “But it also filters down through everybody else. Since we started
practicing again, they have shown an amazing ability to turn a bad situation
into a big positive.
“These kids have really taken a no-nonsense approach to practice,” he added.
“We're going to go out there and show that we can still compete night in and
night out. That is a credit to the great kids and great players we have on this
team.”
Saturday's game against RMC will tell Mouat a lot about what he can expect for
the remainder of the season. Also, he'll be coaching against the school he left
to come to Havre.
“Playing Rocky in
“This game will tell us a lot about how far we have come and where we need to
go,” he added. “But no matter what, it will be good to just get back on the
floor and play basketball again.”
Saturday's game between Northern and