From the outset, Montana State University-Northern showed strong intent, opening the game with a sharp scoring run and taking a 45-40 lead into halftime. Meanwhile Providence struggled to generate consistent momentum, missing opportunities to chip away at the deficit.

In the second half, Northern really put the game away. They poured in 53 points while holding Providence to 42, extending their lead and never letting the Argonauts regain full control. The final margin was 98-82.
Key contributors for Montana State-Northern included:

• Austin Ramos, who poured in 22 points on 8-11 shooting including 6-9 from three.
• Leon Sayers IV, who shot 10-11 (4-5 from deep) and added 6 rebounds and 8 assists for a 27-point night.
• Cinque Maxwell, chipped in 15 points from 6-11 shooting and added multiple rebounds.

Team shooting for the Lights was outstanding: 39-62 (62.9 percent) overall and 13-26 (50 percent) from three-point range. They had 28 rebounds, 28 assists, and turned the ball over just 10 times.

Providence fought, but their three-point shooting was cold (7-25, 28 percent) and they couldn't match Northern's pace or efficiency. They did shoot 50 percent overall (33-66) and grabbed 25 rebounds, but lacked the extra spark needed to close the gap.

One of the turning points came early in the second half: the Lights hit a few threes and built a lead that Providence could not withstand. From being down five at the half, Lights steadily pulled away.

With this win, Lights opened conference play 1-0 and move to 4-1 overall and continue building momentum into their next Conference match against Bellevue and Dakota State next week in Bellevue and Madison at 7pm.