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Rocky Mountain College Athletics

Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears

Events and Results

Events and Results

Bowman vs MSUB '25
Bailee Walls
99
Winner Montana State University Billi MSUB
96
Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY
Winner
Montana State University Billi MSUB
99
Final
96
Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Montana State University Billi MSUB 39 60 99
Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY 44 52 96

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Rocky Men’s Basketball Falls Late in Dramatic Rimrock Rivalry Exhibition

BILLINGS, Mont.- Omari Nesbit and Drew Bowman combined for 12 three-pointers, but the Battlin' Bears would drop the Rimrock Rivalry rematch in the final seconds at home.   

A physical rivalry matchup saw a combined 58 free throws, as the Yellowjackets would secure the game-winner in the final eight seconds with an and-one layup by Brandon Tchouya. 

How It Happened
For the second consecutive game, it was Omari Nesbit who would come out firing for the Rocky offense, hitting a trio of three-pointers over the first five minutes, leading the Battlin' Bears to a 16-8 lead. The Yellowjackets would begin earning points in the paint to close their deficit to one before Nesbit had another answer with his fifth three-pointer of the first ten minutes to give Rocky a four-point lead with under ten minutes to go. 

MSU Billings would begin to work their way to the free throw line, converting six consecutive attempts to total an 11-2 run to snag a two-point lead with two minutes to go in the half. It was the Battlin' Bears who would take momentum into the locker room, sparking a 7-0 run over the final two minutes of the half to take a five-point lead into halftime. In total, the Battlin' Bears sank ten threes in the first twenty minutes of play at a 58.8% pace. 

With the first ten minutes going back-and-forth, it was Rocky who would make the first substantial run of the second half, as a 9-2 run for Rocky would extend the largest lead of the contest. The Yellowjackets had an immediate response, forcing a pair of Battlin' Bear turnovers to spark a 15-4 run to cut their deficit back down to one entering the final five minutes of play. 

The final five minutes were physical on both ends, as both teams combined for 17 trips to the free-throw line. With MSUB's Miles Gurske hitting a three-pointer with 1:40 to play to give the Yellowjackets a one-point lead, Kyle Jones would respond on the next possession with a three-pointer of his own. After Brandon Tchouya scored a pair of free throws to tie the contest, both teams would turn the ball over with chances to take the lead, leaving MSU Billings with the shot clock off in the final 14 seconds. Tchouya would break free for an and-one layup to give the Yellowjackets a three-point lead with eight seconds to go. The Battlin' Bears would have an opportunity for one last chance for a game-tying shot, but were unsuccessful, giving MSU Billings a 99-96 victory. 

Notable Statistics
Omari Nesbit led the Battlin' Bears with 21 points total, sinking six three-pointers. Drew Bowman also totaled 20 points off the bench, shooting six-of-11 from three-point range. Also finishing in double figures were Sherman Royal III (13), Royce Robinson (13), and Kyle Jones (12). 

The Rocky men shot 51.6% from the field and 55.2% from three-point range, totaling 16 threes overall. Rocky was narrowly outrebounded 29-28 and had a slim disadvantage in the turnover margin, 12-11. 

Both teams combined for 58 total free throw attempts in the contest. MSU Billings finished shooting 31-of-38 (81.6%), while Rocky shot 14-of-20 (70%) overall. 

Mason Landdeck totaled a game-high 26 points, converting 13-of-16 from the charity stripe. 

Up Next
Rocky Men's Basketball (8-2, 5-2 conf.) travels to Arizona for the Cactus Classic for three non-conference contests this week, facing off against Park University Gilbert, OUAZ, and No. 19-ranked Hope International. 
 
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