Brandon Stinson

Men's Basketball 1/5/2024 11:20:00 AM Brandon Stinson | Sports Information & Media Coordinator

GAME NOTES: Rocky Men’s Basketball Begins Conference Schedule at #7 Montana Tech

BUTTE, Mont.- The Frontier Conference opener will feature a top-25 matchup as the Battlin' Bears travel to Butte on Saturday.

Matchup

#15 Rocky Mountain College (9-4) vs #7 Montana Tech (10-3)
Saturday, January 6th | 4:00pm (MT) | Butte, Montana

Battlin' Bear Recap

The Battlin' Bears enter Frontier Conference play 9-4 overall after a challenging non-conference schedule that they succeeded in, finding themselves as the 15th-ranked program in the NAIA. While their non-conference schedule featured several talented programs, their schedule doesn't get any easier in the Frontier Conference. Massey Ratings ranks Rocky's schedule (including future games) as the second-highest strength of schedule in the NAIA this season.

The Battlin' Bears enter conference play with three players in the top 10 of scorers in the Frontier Conference so far this season. Kael Robinson leads all players averaging 19.3 points per game, with Jesse Owens in 6th (16.8) and Maxim Stephens in 8th (15.7). The Batttlin' Bears are the top three-point shooting team in the Frontier Conference by percentage at 36.9% as a unit. Cade Tyson, Jesse Owens, and Liam Romei have all shot above 40% from downtown this season.

Free throw shooting has been equally crucial to Rocky's offensive attack, leading the Frontier Conference in total free throw attempts (349) and percentage (75.6%) as a team. Maxim Stephens (59-of-88) and Kael Robinson (57-of-82) rank first and second individually in the conference in free throw attempts and makes.

Jesse Owens has been one of the most efficient scorers in the conference overall this season, ranking fifth in FG percentage (48.4%), third in 3pt percentage (41.1%), and first in free throw percentage (94%), while also leading the conference in assists (4.5).

Preview

The Orediggers enter Saturday's conference opener as the seventh-ranked team in the NAIA with a 10-3 overall record. Their lone common opponent with the Battlin' Bears is Dickinson State, whom they also split their season series with. Both teams won their first matchup with the Blue Hawks but fell in their second matchup.

Montana Tech leads the Frontier Conference in both points per game (89.9) and points allowed (61.2) per game. The defending Frontier Conference champions boast five players averaging double figures this season, highlighted by 2022 First Team All-Conference and Newcomer of the Year Asa Williams, who is averaging 17.8 points per game, which ranks fifth in the Frontier Conference this season.

The Orediggers take care of the ball very well, averaging just 9.3 turnovers per game while forcing 15.4 per game, both marks leading the Frontier Conference. While Tech ranks fourth in total rebounds per game (37.8), they lead the conference in rebounding margin, limiting their opponents to just 7.2 offensive rebounds and 30.5 total rebounds per game

2022-23 Frontier Conference Player of the Year Caleb Bellach has recently returned from injury to bolster the Oredigger lineup. While he's been limited to around 20 minutes per game since his debut less than a month ago, Bellach has scored double figures in all but his first game of the season.

Saturday's game will be a 4:00 pm tipoff in the HPER Complex in Butte.

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