Brandon Stinson

Men's Basketball 12/15/2023 8:43:00 AM Brandon Stinson | Sports Information & Media Coordinator

Rocky Men’s Basketball Heads to Arizona For a Challenging Slate of Games in the Cactus Classic

BILLINGS, Mont.- The Battlin' Bears haven't lost a game since their last trip to Arizona over a month ago and will look to keep that momentum going in the Cactus Classic.

Matchup

#15 Rocky Mountain College (6-1) vs #18 The Master's University (8-2)
Friday, December 15th | 4:00pm (MT) | Chandler, Arizona

#15 Rocky Mountain College (6-1) vs Marian University (Indiana) (8-2)
Sunday, December 17th | 12:00pm (MT) | Chandler, Arizona

#15 Rocky Mountain College (6-1) vs MidAmerica Nazarene University (5-3)
Monday, December 18th | 12:00pm (MT) | Chandler, Arizona

All Games Played at Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Battlin' Bear Recap

The Battlin' Bears head to Arizona with a five-game win streak under their belt and their lone loss this season being to then-third-ranked Arizona Chrisitan (now 10th ranked) on on November 3rd.

A season ago, the Battlin' Bears went 1-2 at the Cactus Classic, with losses against OUAZ and Menlo College and a 74-69 win over Hope International. Hope International and OUAZ went on to compete in the 2022-23 NAIA National Tournament. Kael Robinson led the way in Rocky's lone win a season ago with 13 points and a career-high eight assists.

This season the Battlin' Bears will have a tough slate of games in Arizona, as all three opponents have received votes in the NAIA Coaches Poll at some point this season, and all three teams average over 80 points per game this season.

The Rocky men jumped from #21 to #15 in Wednesday's NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches Poll. This is the Rocky men's highest in-season ranking since the 2014-15 season when they were tied for 13th in the first poll of the season.

Maxim Stephens earned his first career Frontier Conference Player of the Week honor this week after his 25-point, 15-rebound performance led the Battlin' Bears to a double overtime victory over MSU Billings. Stephens had the highlight of the night, as his two free throws with a second remaining in the second overtime sealed the victory for the Battlin' Bears.

Junior guard Cade Tyson had one of his best games as a Battlin' Bear in Alterowitz Gym on Saturday, playing a season-high 26 minutes, pouring in his career-high 16 points on 4-5 shooting from three-point range and swiping five steals on the night. Two of his steals were tremendous individual efforts that prevented the Yellowjackets from taking the lead late in the game. Tyson is a selective shot taker but has made good on most of his opportunities this season as he currently has hit eight of his 12 three-point shots this season. His 66.7% from downtown ranks fourth in the NAIA among qualified players (played 60% of games and made one 3pt per game).

The most obvious recipe for the Battlin' Bears' success this season has been their offense, as they rank fourth in the NAIA in points per game (93.9), ninth in three-point percentage (41.0%), and they rank in the top 25 in free throw percentage (75.6%) on their way to surpassing 100 points three times this season, with their lowest point total against an NAIA team being in their loss against Arizona Christian, scoring 84 points. Another key to their early season wins has been their performance in close games, as four of their six wins this season have been in games decided by two points or less.

Preview - #18 The Master's University

The Mustangs are off to a strong start to their 2023 season, maintaining their #18 rating in Wednesday's coaches poll. The Master's University has an 8-2 record through their first 10 games this season, their lone losses coming against Oklahoma City University and Keiser University.

The Battlin' Bears will be their second top-25 matchup of the season, as the Mustangs defeated Florida Memorial University 95-86 on November 30th.

Their high-powered offense features all five starters averaging double-digit points per game this season, led by Eastern Washington transfer Ty Harper, who is averaging over 20 points per game so far this season. The Mustangs also return a 2022 First Team All-American Kaleb Lowery, who averages 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting just under 50% from the field this season.

Ball movement is key for the Mustangs, as their 18.7 assists per game ranks 9th in the NAIA. Their ball movement is coupled with efficient shooting, as four players are shooting over 40% from three this season and the team shoots 48.6% from the field so far this season.

The Mustangs will also take on Carroll College and Montana Western in the Cactus Classic.

Preview - Marian University

The Knights of Marian University are also off to an 8-2 start this season. Their two lone losses this season came in consecutive games, first to then #2 ranked Grace College (now ranked #1 in the NAIA), followed by an overtime loss to Spring Arbor University. The Knights shot 17 three-pointers in both of their losses, the lowest total of the season so far, combining just four-of-34 in their defeats. Since those losses, Marian has won three straight, including two games scoring over 95 points.

Marian University is another NAIA team with impressive scoring ability, averaging 88.1 points per game on 52.8% shooting from the field. The Knights have a two-headed monster with junior guards Brody Whitaker and Gus Etchison, both players average over 20 points per game this season. Neither player has a game this season where they have scored less than 12 points and both guards have games of 30+ points this season.

The Knights take care of the ball very well, as they have totaled nine or fewer turnovers in seven of their 10 games this season. Marian defends the three-pointer well, holding their opponents to just 33.5% this season.

Marian University will begin the Cactus Classic with a matchup against the University of Providence.

Preview - MidAmerica Nazarene University

The Battlin' Bears will conclude the weekend against the Pioneers of MidAmerica Nazarene University. The Pioneers are off to a 6-3 start to their season, currently on a two-game win streak after back-to-back wins over Mount Mercy University and Peru State College. Their lone ranked matchup this season was a 75-60 loss to #7 Oklahoma Wesleyan in their second game of the season.

Sophomore guard Mekhi Elmore leads the way on the offensive end as the Pioneer's leading scorer, averaging 18.7 points per game, adding 4.3 assists, and shooting 43.2% from three-point range. MidAmerica Nazarene also returns an All-American, as senior guard Anthony Brown, who was an honorable mention a season ago and also recently surpassed 2,000 career points.

The Pioneers control their games from inside primarily, as they rank 9th in the NAIA in total rebounds per game (43.1) and have outrebounded their opponents by just under 10 rebounds per game this season. They also average 4.9 blocks per game, which ranks 11th in the NAIA this season. Senior Caleb Jones-McCary leads the charge down low, averaging 9.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game this season.

MidAmerica Nazarene will also take on Carroll College on Tuesday afternoon.

Follow along with live updates from the Cactus Classic by following Battlin' Bear Athletics on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

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