In a solid non-conference-Exhibition battle played Monday afternoon in Havre, Montana, the Lights delivered a convincing performance to earn an 85–61 win over Lakeland College.

Northern took control early and built a comfortable lead by halftime, outscoring Lakeland 53–33 in the second half after a competitive opening stanza. The home squad shot efficiently and showcased depth throughout the rotation, finishing the game with a balanced scoring attack.

The Lights shot 50.0 percent from the field (33-of-66) and hit 25.0 percent from three-point range while converting 81.3 percent of its free throws. The team also held a slight rebounding advantage (39–34) and distributed the ball effectively with 17 assists.

Off the bench and among starters, several players contributed significantly:

• Cinque Maxwell led Northern with 17 points, adding energy and consistent scoring around the basket.
• Tracen Jilot also scored 17 points, hitting shots from inside and beyond to help expand the Lightning's lead.
• Claysen Delp posted 15 points on efficient shooting, including perfect free-throw accuracy (8-of-8), and led the team with 5 assists.
• Raefe McEnroe added 11 points and played a key role in Northern's ball movement and defensive effort.
• Luke Holecek chipped in 9 points, contributing both inside and with outside shooting.

Lakeland College showed resilience, with several players producing strong scoring efforts. Jordan Horobetz-Simp led the visiting squad with 13 points, while Matthew Bryant added 12 points and 5 rebounds. Taleh Wade (10), Seth Johnson (8), and Isreal Ogbebor (7) also helped keep Lakeland competitive early in the game.

Despite those contributions, Lakeland shot 35.7 percent overall and 19.2 percent from long range, struggling to sustain offensive momentum against Northern's pressure.

The Lights will head to North Dakaota to play in two conference games this weekend against Valley City State and Mayville State.

Photo Credit: Kellee May