HAVRE, Mont. – The Rocky Mountain College men's basketball team opened Frontier Conference play on Friday night with a 99-93 overtime loss at MSU-Northern.
 
Rocky (6-2, 0-1 Frontier) got 61 points from Jared Samuelson and Latrelle Franklin and the team shot 56.5 percent from the floor. MSU-Northern (7-2, 1-0) shot 50.8 percent and hit on 13 of 25 from beyond the arc.
 
Samuelson had 31 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Battlin' Bears in each category. He made 12 of 15 shots and converted seven of his eight attempts at the foul line. His 31 are the most by a Rocky player since Rob Nyby scored 33 during the 2015-16 season.
 
Franklin added 30 points and three assists. It's the first time two Battlin' Bears scored at least 30 points in the same game during the time records are available.
 
The Battlin' Bears countered the long ball of the Lights with 40 points in the paint. They had 14 assists and 13 turnovers compared to Northern's 27 assists and nine turnovers.
 
Danny Betcher added 11 points for Rocky while Austin Payne had 10 off the bench.
 
Northern had six plyers score in double figures and they were led by 21 from Charles Porter.
 
Rocky now heads to Great Falls where they will face University of Providence on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.