BILLINGS, Mont. - The No. 20 ranked Battlin' Bears fell to the No. 14 ranked Shawnee State Bears 65-57 in the first round of the 2019 NAIA Division 1 Women's Basketball National Championship.

The Battlin' Bears were unable to find any rhythm and never built a lead larger than five points. Tied at 24-24, Shawnee State jumped on an 8-2 run to end the first half and led the rest of the game.

Rebounds proved an issue for Rocky. Out-rebounded 47-30, the Battlin' Bears pulled in only eight offensive rebounds to the Bears' 17.

By the middle of the fourth, Shawnee State had built a 15-point lead. The Battlin' Bears were able to draw within six points in the final minute, but couldn't get any closer as their season drew to a close.

Markaela Francis posted a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds. Teammate Brooke Jones scored 13 points with seven rebounds while Kloie Thatcher added 11 points and five assists of her own.

Rocky shot 36.8 percent from the field and drained just 2-of-13 from beyond the arc. Shawnee State finished shooting 37.1 percent and hit 26.9 percent on threes.

Shawnee State had four players with double digits in the scoring column. Ashton Lovely and Hannah Miller both scored 13 points while Sydney King and Bailey Cummins each ended with 11.

The Battlin' Bears end the season with an overall record of 20-13. Shawnee State advances to the tournament's second round where they will play Clarke at 8 p.m. tomorrow.