BILLINGS, Mont.- With both teams winning nine of their last ten games, Rocky Men's Basketball will square off against the No. 6-ranked Orediggers at home to open Frontier Conference play on Saturday. 

Game Information

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Saturday, January 4th
(RV) Rocky Mountain College (11-2) vs #6 Montana Tech (12-1)
Fortin Education Center | 4:00 pm (MT)

Last Time Out

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The Battlin' Bears earned their fourth and fifth straight wins to close out their non-conference schedule in the Green and Gold Classic, Presented by Hampton Inn. They began the tournament with an 87-59 victory over Southern Alberta Institute of Technology before wrapping up the weekend with a dramatic 63-62 win over Dickinson State. 

The Rocky men have proven their ability to win in multiple ways, which has included wins in their two worst shooting games of the season against Park University-Gilbert and, most recently, Dickinson State on Sunday, in which Carter McCoy was the hero with a tip-in layup to win the game with two seconds remaining. The Rocky men have also won their four lowest-scoring games this season, as they have only scored under 80 points in a game four times this season and have won each of those games, two of which they won by seven or more points. 

Jaylon Lee was named the Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the fifth time this season and the third consecutive week on Monday after averaging 12.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in the Green and Gold Classic. 

Game Notes

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Home Sweet Home
The Battlin' Bears kick off the Frontier Conference schedule in the Fortin Education Center. It will kick off a 15-game Frontier Conference schedule, featuring three matchups with each conference opponent, beginning with the No. 6-ranked Montana Tech Orediggers. 

Board Men Get Wins
The Battlin' Bears have continued to dominate the glass throughout the season, totaling the fifth most rebounds per game in the NAIA this season and outrebounding their opponents by an average margin of 11.4, the seventh-highest margin in the NAIA.  Junior forward Jaylon Lee currently ranks fifth in the NAIA in rebounds per game with 12.4, while Carter McCoy ranks sixth in the Frontier Conference, averaging 6.8 rebounds per game. 

Efficiency is the Name of the Game
The Rocky offense ranks second in the Frontier Conference, scoring 84.9 points per game this season. This has been led by efficient scorers, including Carter McCoy's Frontier Conference-best 62.9% field goal percentage and Jaylon Lee's fourth-ranked 56.6% field goal percentage. Royce Robinson ranks fourth at 41.3% from three-point range, A.J. Wilson ranks sixth at 39.4%, and Jesse Owens ranks ninth at 37.7%. 

Scouting the Orediggers
Montana Tech has continued to be a dominant force in the NAIA to open up their season, entering conference play with a 12-1 overall record. Their lone loss came to the No. 9-ranked The Masters in the Cactus Classic, just a day after the Orediggers defeated No. 4-ranked Arizona Christian. Their offense has been a driving factor, shooting just shy of 50% from the field this season. Michael Ure, the Preseason Frontier Conference Player of the Year, has been the leading scorer for the Orediggers, scoring 14.0 points per game while also grabbing 5.9 rebounds, blocking 1.5 shots per game, and shooting 42.6% from three-point range, the second best mark in the conference this season.