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Rocky Mountain College Athletics

Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears

Events and Results

Events and Results

Jones vs BSC '25
Bailee Walls
45
Dakota State (SD) DaSU 11-3, 6-3
48
Winner Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY MO 12-3, 7-2
Dakota State (SD) DaSU
11-3, 6-3
45
Final
48
Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY MO
12-3, 7-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Dakota State (SD) DaSU 23 22 45
Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY MO 26 22 48

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

(RV) Rocky Men’s Basketball Grinds Out 48-45 Victory Over Dakota State

BILLINGS, Mont.- Rocky Men's Basketball withstood a defensive slugfest, emerging victorious 48-45 at home on Saturday evening.

Dakota State entered the evening as the top defensive team by scoring in the Frontier Conference, and the Battlin' Bears followed along in second. With both teams totaling season lows in points scored, late free-throw shooting and rebounding became crucial, as the Battlin' Bears held on to a late lead to earn their third consecutive conference victory. 

How It Happened
Turnovers and free-throw inefficiencies hindered Rocky early, giving Dakota State an 8-4 lead after five minutes. Mekhi Jourdan sparked the Battlin' Bears' offense, scoring seven consecutive points to lead the Battlin' Bears to a 12-4 run and take the lead back. After the Trojans responded to tie the game, a pair of three-pointers from Kade Erickson and Sherman Royal III led a 10-2 run for the Battlin' Bears, giving them a slim three-point advantage heading into halftime. 

While neither offense found much momentum, Rocky limited Dakota State to just three points over the first eight minutes of the second half, extending their ten-point lead. The Trojans would have their answer, as Rocky would have a cold spell of seven minutes without a field goal, giving Dakota State an avenue to trim their deficit down to one point with four minutes remaining. A layup and a pair of made free throws for Sherman Royal III would push the Battlin' Bear lead back to five with two minutes remaining, but a layup and a pair of free throws from Dakota State would set up a one-point game with 30 seconds remaining. While overall, Rocky struggled from the charity stripe on Saturday, they came through when it was needed most, as Mekhi Jourdan and Royce Robinson each sank both of their opportunities in the final 30 seconds, as the Battlin' Bears would stop the Trojans' final two game-tying attempts to escape with a 48-45 victory at home. 

Notable Statistics
Mekhi Jourdan recorded a team-high 13 points, along with three rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Sherman Royal III added 12 points and four rebounds, while Royce Robinson finished with nine points, three steals, and two blocks. Carter McCoy also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. 

The Rocky men shot a season-low 34% from the field and 47.4% from the free-throw line, while also shooting just 27.8% from three-point range. The defense covered up their shooting woes, forcing 20 turnovers from Dakota State in the winning effort while limiting their own turnovers to just seven. 

Nathan Ojukwu led all players with 17 points and 11 rebounds for Dakota State. 

Up Next
Rocky Men's Basketball (12-3, 7-2 conf.) continues a four-game home stretch next weekend, hosting Valley City State and Mayville State. 
 
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