The Montana State-Northern Skylights opened postseason play with an 82-74 victory over the Rocky Mountain Bears on Saturday in Frontier Conference Tournament action in Butte.

Northern set the tone early, pouring in 29 first-quarter points to build a double-digit lead. Rocky Mountain responded in the second quarter to cut into the deficit, but the Skylights maintained control heading into halftime and never surrendered the lead down the stretch.

Becky Melcher led the way for Northern with 30 points and 11 rebounds, knocking down seven three-pointers in a standout performance. Taya Trottier added 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Ciera Agasiva chipped in 13 points.

Rocky Mountain was paced by Paige Wasson's 29 points and 10 rebounds, and Isabelle Heggem added 21 points and 12 boards. Despite winning the rebounding battle, the Bears struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 16 percent from three.

Northern shot 53.8 percent from long range as a team, a key factor in securing the eight-point win and advancing in tournament play.