HELENA -- If Chris Mouat looks at the stat sheet from the Montana State-Northern Skylights' women's basketball season opener against Lewis-Clark State on Friday, it'll likely be a game he'd like to forget. However, it's not one he'll likely ever forget.
"Who would have thought that the year (the Lewis-Clark State Warriors) leave the league, it's going to be our home opener -- at Carroll College of all places," said Mouat. "Things are definitely not normal."
Moaut said prior to the game in a Zoom interview that, as a coach, there's seldom enough time to prepare for a game, but he was happy that the Skylights would face a stiff test in the Warriors right out of the starting block.
"I just assumed start that way. Let's see really where we're at right now with the kids that we have, that were able to put on a uniform (Friday) and see where we're at," said Mouat. "We have nothing to do but learn from it. I really believe that."
Though the Skylights ultimately lost the matchup against the Warriors by a score of 75-66, Mouat said before the game what he truly wanted out of the matchup was to get he and his players out on the floor,in a year where nothing is certain.
"I feel like it's my first year again, I think our kids feel the same way. They've just been waiting. They've been waiting to go and get an opportunity, so I think that's really good," Mouat said before the game. "It's not a typical game, that's all. We're just going to have to go in and make it as typical as we can given the circumstances. I just want to get that ball in the air and see what happens from there."
Though the Skylights weren't able to notch their first tally in the win column on Friday, they'll get another chance on Saturday when they face the Valley City State University Vikings at noon.
