BILLINGS, Mont.- The Battlin' Bears earned their eighth NAIA National Championship qualification and will travel to Sioux Center, Iowa, to take on eighth-seed St. Francis (Ill).  

Game Information

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Friday, March 14th
(9) Rocky Mountain College (20-10) vs (8) University of St. Francis (24-7)
Sioux Center, Iowa | 6:30 pm (MT)

Season in Review

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The Battlin' Bears completed their third 20-win season in the past four seasons and are entering the NAIA National Championship Tournament for the eighth time in program history. Rocky earned its third outright regular season championship, the first of the Wes Keller era, and its fourth overall, the second of the Coach Keller era. 

A team that featured three new starters, including two freshman (Paige Wasson and Isabelle Heggem) and one transfer (Sydney Dethman), took some time to gel together. Beginning their season with two games at home in the Fortin Education Center, the Battlin' Bears dropped two early games in the year to Park-Gilbert and Arizona Christian. However, the momentum shifted following these losses as the Battlin' Bears went on to win six consecutive games in their non-conference schedule. Following a loss to nationally-ranked Mayville State at home, Rocky would win a pair of neutral site games in the Cactus Classic before again stumbling at home with narrow losses to Jamestown and Dickinson State. 

The Rocky women shook their home court woes in their conference opener, dominating Montana Tech 56-35 on January 4th. The Battlin' Bears would play excellently throughout the conference schedule, winning 11-of-15 conference games, including five of seven at home and six of eight on the road. No game was an easy one in the Frontier Conference, as the Battlin' Bears had to face each conference opponent three times in the regular season in a conference that qualified four of its six teams for the NAIA National Championship this season (Rocky Mountain College, Carroll College, University of Providence, & Montana Tech). 

The goal of every program is to find their groove and get hot late in the season when the games mean the most, and that's exactly what Coach Keller's group achieved, winning five of their last six regular season games to clinch an outright Frontier Conference Regular Season Championship and earn the No. 1 seed in the Frontier Conference Tournament. 

After a defensive effort helped seal a 61-51 semifinals victory over MSU-Northern, the Battlin' Bears would eventually fall in the championship game against the University of Providence 69-50. Rocky would earn an At-Large Bid as a ninth-seed, traveling to Sioux Center, Iowa 

Game Notes

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Back to the Tourney
The Rocky women qualified for the NAIA National Tournament for the eighth time in program history and the seventh time since 2016-17. The Battlin' Bears won their First-Round matchup against Menlo in the 2022-23 season before falling in the second round to LC-State. 

Win on Defense
The Rocky women have leaned on an excellent defense throughout the season and the statistics back up their dominant play. The Battlin' Bears rank 22nd in the NAIA in points allowed per game (58.0), while committing the ninth fewest fouls per game (13.7). The mark of 60 points allowed has been a key point for Rocky all year, as they hold a 16-0 record in games where they keep their opponents under 60 points, compared to a 4-10 record in games where they allow more than 60 points. 

Control Possession
Another strong point for the Battlin' Bears this season has been limiting extra possessions for their opposition. Rocky ranks 13th in the NAIA in offensive rebounds allowed per game (8.4) and eighth in turnovers per game (12.0). Six Battlin' Bears who totaled at least 10 assists this season maintain an assist/turnover ratio higher than 1.00. 

Lean on Who Got You Here
With rotations shrinking for all teams come March, the Battlin' Bears will rely on their starters, who have been playing excellently down the stretch. Going into the Frontier Conference Championship Game, Sydney Dethman held a stretch of 12 straight games scoring in double-figures, and Gracee Lekvold had done so in 10 straight.   

Hot at the Right Time
Since the start of 2025, the Battlin' Bears have a 12-5 overall record, with their only losses coming to other NAIA Tournament qualifying teams. 

Scouting the Fighting Saints

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Team Overview
The Fighting Saints qualified for the NAIA National Tournament for the ninth time in program history and the first time since 2022. They finished the regular season with a 24-7 overall record and a 15-5 conference record in Chicagoland to finish third overall. They eventually fell in the conference championship to top-seeded Governors State 64-70. 

Players to Watch
St. Francis is led by a pair of junior guards, who earned Second Team All-Conference recognition and led the Fighting Saints in scoring. Tykara Harrison averaged 15.5 points per game, and Le'lani Harris totaled 15.3 points. Freshman guard Symone Harrell earned All-Freshman team honors in the CCAC, averaging 6.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game. Junior guard Abby Shepard comes off the bench as one of the NAIA's top shooters from deep, shooting 42.0% from three-point range and features a game this season where she drained 11 threes against Calumet. 

What to Expect
The Fighting Saints have been one of the top offensive units in the NAIA this season, averaging 79.5 points per game, the 13th best in the NAIA. Their three-point shooting is a key cog of their scoring output, hitting the sixth most three-pointers per game in the NAIA (9.5 per game). They also rank 34th in the NAIA in made free throws per game and fifth in free throw percentage (78.8%). Like the Battlin' Bears, St. Francis is playing their best basketball of the season down the stretch, as they carried a six-game win streak into the conference championship game. Within that winning streak, they outscored their opponents by an average margin of 23.8 points per game.