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Rocky Mountain College Athletics

Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears

Events and Results

Events and Results

Lee vs MSUN '25
Finn Rolseth
52
Montana State-Northern (MT) MSUN 8-18, 2-11
62
Winner Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY 18-8, 7-6
Montana State-Northern (MT) MSUN
8-18, 2-11
52
Final
62
Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY
18-8, 7-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Montana State-Northern (MT) MSUN 24 28 52
Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY 28 34 62

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Brandon Stinson | Sports Information & Media Coordinator

Rocky Men’s Basketball Smothers Lights in 62-52 Victory

BILLINGS, Mont.- Jesse Owens became the program's all-time leader in career assists as the Battlin' Bears locked down the Lights 62-52 on Senior Day.  

Jesse Owens' fourth assist of the day surpassed Cooper Warren's (2004-2008) career record of 385 assists, becoming the program's all-time leader on his senior day. He finished the evening with 13 points and five assists. 

Rocky's defense was the star of the show on Saturday, holding MSU-Northern to just 52 points on the day, the lowest total allowed this season by the Battlin' Bears while forcing 13 turnovers.  

The Battlin' Bear win keeps them squarely in the mix in the Frontier Conference standings. Rocky, Carroll, and Montana Western all sit one game behind Montana Tech and the University of Providence, with two regular season games remaining. 

How it Happened
Omari Nesbit scored the first two baskets for the Battlin' Bears, giving them a 5-2 lead four minutes into the contest after a slow start for both teams. Rocky would take the first momentum swing with a 9-0 run after holding MSU-Northern scoreless for nearly five minutes of play to take a 14-7 lead. The Lights would get their scoring restarted, hitting three of their next four shots after Jack Reardon would break the drought and cut the Battlin' Bear deficit to two. 

It would be Rocky's swing next, rattling off an 8-0 run and forcing another four-minute scoreless stretch for the Lights to take a double-digit lead. MSU-Northern responded with an 8-0 run of their own, erasing the Battlin' Bear advantage. Jaylon Lee would power in a dunk through contact before the first-half buzzer, giving the Rocky men a four-point lead at the half. 

Jesse Owens would spark the Battlin' Bears to open the half as he followed a jumper with a steal and a transition three-pointer that opened a 9-2 run that extended Rocky's lead back up to 11. Despite costly turnovers, the Battlin' Bears would make their next four shots from the field and opened their largest lead of the game at 14 points with eight minutes to go. While MSU-Northern would begin to make some shots and cut the deficit down to seven points with four minutes to go, Royce Robinson would seal the game with back-to-back buckets in the final two minutes to secure a home victory in the final regular season game in the Fortin Education Center. 

Notable Statistics
Jaylon Lee totaled his 15th double-double of the season after tallying 19 points and 12 rebounds, also blocking two shots. Jesse Owens added 13 points and five assists, while Omari Nesbit scored 11 points in the win. 

The Battlin' Bears scored 28 of their 62 points in the paint, shooting 46.3% from the field despite just shooting 23.5% from three. They turned the ball over just seven times, their second-best total of the season. Their 62 points were also the second-least points scored in a game this season, but a strong defensive effort earned them their 18th win of the season. 

Cinique Maxwell led all scorers with 20 points, along with three steals to lead the Lights. 

Up Next
The Battlin' Bears (18-8, 7-6 conf.) hit the road to conclude the regular season with matchups against Carroll College and Montana Western, both games with significant seeding implications for the upcoming Frontier Conference Tournament, with all three teams entering the final week with a 7-6 conference record. 
 
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