Friday, Oct. 28

Lights, Skylights host Coaches vs Cancer Classic

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor

gferguson@havredailynews.com

 

            It may hard to fathom, especially with the biggest NAIA football game of the season happening just across town. But starting this afternoon at the MSU-Northern Fieldhouse in Havre, there will be some very important college basketball being played.

            For the first time in school history, both the Montana State University-Northern men’s and women’s basketball team will come together to host a basketball tournament as the Lights and Skylights host the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic today and Saturday in Havre.

            The tournament will be part of a busy and exciting weekend at MSU-N, and both Lights’ head coach Shawn Huse, who brought the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament to Havre, and Skylights’ second-year head coach Chris Mouat are very excited about the two days of college basketball in their gym.

            “What a great weekend for MSU-Northern and for Havre,” Mouat said. “Of course there is the big football game, and then eight basketball games in two days. It is just a really exciting time for all of us, and we’re excited to be a part of it all.”

            Said Huse: “Obviously, the Coaches vs Cancer tournament is something that is very important and meaningful to me. We’re excited about the teams that we have brought in, and we’re looking forward to having the Skylights be a part of it. It should be a really fun weekend, especially when you combine this with the Northern/Carroll football game.”

            While the tournament is designed to raise money for cancer research and other cancer related foundations both on the Hi-Line and across the U.S., it is also an important weekend for both the Lights and Skylights.

            The Lights are opening their season this weekend, having only played an intrasquad scrimmage and the annual alumni game. Northern has been hard at work preparing for the season, and Huse said his team is ready to get out on the court and play some meaning full basketball.

            “It is going to be interesting because you can only tell so much from practice and playing against each other,” Huse said. “We’re going to play to win both games this weekend, but the most important thing for me is getting an idea of where we are as a basketball team, and seeing the guys play with maximum effort. That is what I want to see from our guys this weekend. A lot of effort.”

            The Lights will play their season-opener tonight at 8 against Brandon University out of Manitoba, Canada. Northern beat Brandon handily in a tournament in Lethbridge, Alberta last season, and Huse says that Brandon returns some of the same personnel form last year. So he does have an idea of what to expect.

            In the tournament’s finale on Saturday night, the Lights will face a solid University of Regina team. Huse is hoping for a victory in front of a large crowd, following the MSU-Northern football game, and the Carroll College men taking on Brandon, which starts at 6 p.m. on Saturday night.

            “We don’t know a lot about Brandon but we did play them last season,” Huse said. “And I do know that Regina is big and physical but they can also shoot form the outside. So I expect that we’re going to have two tough games on our hands this weekend.

            “The beginning of the season is always tough to prepare for because you don’t have much scouting of your opponent,” he added. “But we will be ready to go. the guys have really worked hard in practice and they are ready to play this weekend.”

            The Skylights (1-1) are in a little different position then the MSU-N men. Northern has played two games this season, splitting with the University of Calgary and the University of Regina two weeks ago in Havre.

            In both games, MSU-N was pushed by a pair of big, physical teams, and Mouat said he expects his team to see more of the same this weekend.

            The Skylights square off against the University of Lethbridge tonight at 6, and they will face Northwest University of the Cascade Conference on Saturday at 4 p.m.

            “Lethbridge is going to be very similar to what we faced against Calgary and Lethbridge,” Mouat said. “They will get up and down the floor quickly and they love to shoot the three. They are going to present a tough matchup for us.

            “I don’t know a lot about Northwest,” he added. “But I know they play in a tough league and they are well coached and we do know they are going to come in here and play hard for 40 minutes. Both these teams have our full respect and our attention and we know they will give us two tough tests this weekend.”

            The Skylights have had nearly two weeks to prepare, and that should continue to help the new Skylights’ players, like point guard Becky Sorensen, get even more acclimated to the MSU-N system. In their two season-opening games, the Skylights got solid performances from their post players. DeLayne Johnson already has one double-double to her credit this season, and Ashley Trulock scored in double figures against Calgary.

            Like the men’s tournament with Carroll College, the women’s tournament also features a Frontier Conference visitor in Rocky Mountain College. And Mouat, a former assistant under RMC head coach Brian Henderson is looking forward to having the Bears here on a without having to do battle on the floor.

            “I am really looking forward to having Rocky here,” Mouat said. “There are a lot of kids that are still there from when I was there and it will be nice to spend time with coach Henderson without having to play each other.

            Said Huse: ‘This is a weekend I always look forward to. But I think with all that is going on here, and especially having the Carroll men here this year, the tournament should be very special, and a lot of fun. I think we’ll have some good crowds, and fans are going to see a lot of really good basketball.”

 

Northwest Energy Coaches vs Cancer  Classic

Tonight’s Games

2 p.m. RMC vs Northwest University

4 p.m. Carroll College vs University of Regina

6 p.m. Skylights vs University of Lethbridge

8 p.m. Lights vs Brandon University

Saturday’s Games

2 p.m. RMC vs University of Lethbridge

4 p.m. Skylights vs Northwest University

6 p.m. Carroll College vs Brandon University

8 p.m. Lights vs University of Regina