The MSU-Northern Lights dropped a close battle against St. Thomas University, falling 59-56 in Helena, Montana.
The Bobcats jumped out to an early 16-9 lead before the Lights battled back to tie the game at 16. St. Thomas pushed their advantage to eight with 2:51 left in the first half, but Northern closed strong on a 7-0 run to trail just 29-28 at the break.
The second half remained tight, with the Bobcats maintaining a small edge. Northern tied the game at 48-48 before St. Thomas responded with a 7-0 run to regain control. The Lights once again fought back to even the score, but a late layup by Myers put the Bobcats ahead. After Claysen Delp went 1-for-2 at the line with 32 seconds remaining, St. Thomas hit two free throws to extend their lead to three. Northern's final possession saw a three-point attempt rim out in the closing seconds.
The Lights shot 35 percent from the field and 23 percent from three, while forcing 13 turnovers and collecting 8 steals. They finished with 34 rebounds as a team. Leaon Sayers IV led the way with 16 points (6-of-16 FG) and 5 rebounds. Claysen Delp added 11 points on 50 percent shooting, while Austin Ramos and Jeffery Tjelde each grabbed 5 rebounds.
St. Thomas shot 33 percent from the field and 21 percent from three, outrebounding Northern 49-34. Kaleb Myers paced the Bobcats with 18 points and 7 rebounds (8-of-13 FG), while Esteban Lluberes added 14 points and Colin Nutter pulled down 14 rebounds.
The Lights (0-1) return to action in Great Falls with a pair of neutral-site games—taking on Simpson University on October 31 at 1 p.m., followed by Bushnell University on November 1 at 1 p.m.
