Valley City State hosted a Frontier Conference men's basketball game against Montana State University-Northern in an engaging and competitive matchup to begin 2026. The Vikings fought hard on their home floor, trading baskets and momentum with the Northern Lights throughout the contest. However, Northern's experience and execution down the stretch allowed them to pull away in the second half and capture the road victory, 82–75.

Both teams showed balanced scoring and energy, with VCSU staying within striking distance thanks to aggressive offensive play and key baskets from their top scorers. The Lights responded with multiple scoring threats and timely stops, avoiding prolonged scoring droughts and steadily maintaining a slim lead into the final minutes.

The win continued MSU-Northern's strong performance in Frontier Conference play and added to their all-time wins against Valley City State in the series.

The Lights are now 9-5 overall and 4-4 in conference. The Lights will head down the road to play Mayville State tomorrow at 6pm.

Lights Standouts

Leon Sayers IV- 22 points 5-9 from the field.

Cinque Maxwell and Austin Ramos – 15 points each, Ramos added six rebounds.

Raefe McEnroe- 12 points coming off the bench

The Lights shot 51 percent from the field, 31 percent from the 3-point line, 89 percent from the free throw line.

Valley City Standouts

JR Cison- 21 points, 8-21 from the field, 4 rebounds

Kaleb Larson-16 points and five rebounds.

The Vikings 46 percent from the field, 31 percent from the 3-point line, and 60 percent from the free throw line.