BILLINGS, Mont. –  Rocky Mountain College will take on the Carroll College Fighting Saints tomorrow in a doubleheader as part of their Military Appreciation Night.

Every Rocky player will wear a jersey displaying the name of a fallen soldier. The women's team will honor soldiers who were killed in action. The men's team will honor those who passed away in their fight with PTSD.

The event will include a U.S. Navy swearing-in ceremony, name recognition of the honored fallen soldiers, a silent auction for custom Battlin' Bears jerseys, and veteran resource booths. Organizations represented with booths include the Billings Vet Center, various military branches, ROTC, Veterans Upward Bound, and the Veterans Meat Locker. 

"Our players take great pride in being able to participate in our Military Appreciation Night. They understand the significance of playing in honor of soldiers who lost their lives in service to our country," said Rocky's women's basketball head coach, Wes Keller.

The woman's game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. The No. 17 ranked Battlin' Bears previously lost 58-50 to the Saints on Jan. 3. The No. 8 ranked Saints will have to contend with a Battlin' Bear scoring defense ranked No. 3 in the NAIA Division 1. Rocky looks to snatch their second upset in a row after defeating the previously No. 16 ranked Lewis-Clark Warriors 68-58 last Saturday. 

"Our rivalry with Carroll brings an additional level of intensity to Thursday night. They are one of the top teams in the country and the defending Frontier Conference champions," said Keller. "Traditionally, our games against the Saints have been physical, defensive battles. After losing in the first match-up, our players understand that they will need to compete harder and play with a little more fire if they expect to even the series."

Rocky will look to Alecia Chamberlin and Kloie Thatcher. Both fresh off 19 point and seven rebound performances against the Warriors. Thatcher's 80 assists ranks her No. 15 in total assists. 

The men's game will begin at 7:30 p.m. The Battlin' Bears handed the Saints their only conference loss of the season so far with a 78-66 upset on Jan. 3. Rocky held the Saints, the top team from beyond the arc, to just 20 percent on three pointers.

Rocky's Jared Samuelson has racked up 380 total points for the Battlin' Bears this season which counts as the most in the Frontier Conference. Behind him for the conference sits a trio of Fighting Saints in the second, third, and fourth spots: Match Burnham (370 points), Matt Wyman (362 points), and Dane Warp (342 points).

"It is a huge privilege for our team to honor the military Thursday," said Rocky's men's basketball coach, Bill Dreikosen. "Our team is looking forward to another great game with Carroll after coming out with a victory with them a couple weeks ago."

Rocky will look to Clayton Ladine, a strong defensive presence, to help stave off Carroll's No. 5 ranked scoring offense. Ladine is ranked No. 5 in total steals with 40 and No. 9 in steals per game with an average of 2.2. The junior from San Francisco, Calif., leads the NAIA in assist/turnover ration with 6.444.