BILLINGS, Mont.- Rocky Men's Basketball kicks off their season at home with back-to-back matchups in the Fortin Education Center on Friday and Saturday evenings. 

Game Information

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Friday, November 1st
Rocky Mountain College (0-0) vs Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (0-1)
Fortin Education Center | 7:00 pm (MT)

Saturday, November 2nd
Rocky Mountain College (0-0) vs #6 Arizona Christian University (2-0)
Fortin Education Center | 7:00 pm (MT)
Black Out

Game Notes

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Season Opener
The Battlin' Bears will begin their 2024-25 campaign in the Fortin Education Center on Friday. The Battlin' Bears will begin their season at home for the first time since 2021-22 and have won their first game of record every season since the shortened 2020-21 season. 

Key Pieces
The Battlin' Bears return six players who saw varsity minutes a season ago, three of which started multiple games in 2023-24 (Jesse Owens, A.J. Wilson, Luca Brooks). The Rocky men's roster will feature a handful of newcomers, including six transfers (Omari Nesbit, Colton Spencer, Carter McCoy, Jaylon Lee, Royce Robinson, Jacob Bilodeau), two freshmen (Hayden Steffenson, Drew Bowman), and three returning 2023-24 JV players elevated to the varsity roster (Finnley Tesoro, Nathan Schraeder, Ata Gultekin). 

Preseason All-Conference Nod
Senior Jesse Owens was honored with Preseason All-Conference recognition before the season began. Owens was a Second Team All-Conference selection a season ago, averaging a career-high in points (15.9), assists (4.9), and rebounds (2.7) per game. The Battlin' Bears were picked to finish third in the Preseason Coaches Poll. 

Scouting the Eagles
Embry-Riddle began its season this past Saturday, falling to Nelson University (formerly SAGU American Indian College) 97-71 on the road. A season ago, the Eagles finished with a regular-season record of 8-19, missing the GSAC tournament. This will mark the first matchup between these teams since 2019 when Embry-Riddle edged out the Battlin' Bears 87-86 at the Cactus Classic. 

Scouting the Firestorm
Arizona Christian opened their season as the No. 6-ranked team in the NAIA and picked up victories against Justice College and La Sierra University on opening weekend. The Battlin' Bears played ACU tough a season ago, as they had the Firestorm on the ropes with a three-point lead in the final two minutes, but Arizona Christian prevailed at home 88-84.