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Rocky Mountain College Athletics

Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears

Events and Results

Events and Results

Nesbit vs UMW '26
Bailee Walls
61
Montana Western (MT) WESTERN 14-7, 9-6
68
Winner Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY 18-3, 13-2
Montana Western (MT) WESTERN
14-7, 9-6
61
Final
68
Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY
18-3, 13-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Montana Western (MT) WESTERN 19 42 61
Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY 29 39 68

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

Nesbit’s 22 Points Leads #23 Rocky Men’s Basketball Past Montana Western 68-61

BILLINGS, Mont.- Senior guard Omari Nesbit tallied nine points in the final two minutes to help seal a 68-61 victory for the Battlin' Bears on Friday evening. 

The win tallies the eight straight for the No. 23-ranked Rocky Men, including their sixth straight conference win at home. 

How It Happened
Omari Nesbit had the hot hand early for Rocky, scoring seven of the first nine points for the Battlin' Bears to build a 9-4 early lead. Rocky's defense was active to open the night, forcing four Bulldog turnovers through the first five minutes of play. With neither team finding much offensive momentum through the first half, the Battlin' Bears extended a double-digit lead midway through the half, thanks to a 9-3 run following a stretch of four made shots out of five attempts. The Bulldogs were able to trim their deficit to single digits, but Omari Nesbit would sink a midrange jumper before the half ended, giving Rocky a 29-19 halftime lead. 

Scoring began to pick up for both sides, but Mekhi Jourdan would cap off a 7-2 run with a three-pointer to extend the Battlin' Bear lead back into double figures. The Battlin' Bear offense would go cold inside of five minutes to play, paving the way for a 10-3 Bulldog run that cut the Battlin' Bear lead down to just one point with just two minutes to play. Senior guard Omari Nesbit stepped up to lead the Rocky men down the stretch, scoring seven straight points, including a three-pointer and four consecutive made free throws, pushing Rocky's lead back up to six in the final minute. More strong free throw shooting down the stretch from the Battlin' Bears would keep Montana Western out of reach, sealing a seven-point win at home. 

Notable Statistics
Omari Nesbit totaled a game-high 22 points, as the second-best free-throw shooter in the NAIA this season sank eight-of-nine attempts from the line. Mekhi Jourdan also finished in double-figures, scoring ten points while snagging five rebounds and two steals. Jacob Bilodeau came off the bench to add nine points on four-of-five shooting, along with a game-high ten rebounds, while Royce Robinson tallied nine points and three steals. 

The Rocky men shot 43.9% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range. Montana Western outrebounded Rocky 36-28, but the Battlin' Bears forced 16 turnovers and converted them into 18 points. 

The Battlin' Bears again excelled defensively, as Montana Western was held to 33.3% from the field and 10.5% from three. The Frontier Conference leading scorer and three-point shooter, Kyle Gruhler, was held to 11 points and zero-of-three from deep. 

Gruhler, along with Emanuel Steward, each tallied 11 points apiece for Montana Western. 

Up Next
Rocky Men's Basketball (18-3, 13-2 conf.) holds their tie for first place in the Frontier Conference with Bellevue, as they take on No. 20-ranked Montana Tech on Saturday evening. 
 
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