BILLINGS, Mont. – With the completion of Rocky Mountain College's new gym floor, the Battlin' Bears are set to play their first game in the Fortin Education Center this season.

The Battlin' Bears take on a Carroll College team fresh off wins over No. 11 ranked MSU-Northern and University of Providence. Rocky is currently on a six game win streak and will look to continue that momentum into tomorrow's match-up.

Carroll led Rocky 2-1 through three games in the 2018-19 season. The Fighting Saints won in the most recent match-up 61-50 off a 18-point and four rebound performance from Danielle Wagner. The Battlin' Bears' Markaela Francis had 17 points and eight rebounds. 

Francis is averaging a team-high 16.5 points and 10.1 rebounds this season. The senior forward from Great Falls, Mont., is pulling in a conference-high 3.40 offensive rebounds per game and is ranked No. 10 in the NAIA Division 1 in total rebounds with 152. She had 19 points and 16 rebounds against No. 13 ranked Lewis-Clark State. 

The Battlin' Bears' Kloie Thatcher will also look to make an impact. The sophomore guard from Butte, Mont., had two double digit scoring performances against conference opponents last week which included the game-winning buzzer beater in overtime in a 71-69 win over the Warriors.

The game promises to be a defensive battle. The Battlin' Bears are ranked No. 8 in the nation in field goal percentage defense at 33.4 percent and No. 9 in three point field goal percentage defense at 26 percent. Carroll College on the other hand is ranked No. 4 in total rebound defense at 29.250 and No. 10 in scoring defense per game with 56.438 points. The Battlin' Bears are averaging 71.933 points per game in comparison to 70.250 points per game from the Fighting Saints.

Rocky will face Carroll College on January 15 at 5:30 p.m. in the Fortin Education Center.