BILLINGS, Mont.- Two-seeded Rocky Men's Basketball matches up with 15th seed Simpson University on Friday evening, as the Battlin' Bears host their first-ever pod in the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship.

Tournament Schedule

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Friday, March 13th - First Round
#7 Lewis-Clark State College vs #10 The Master's University - 5:00 pm (MT)
#2 Rocky Mountain College vs #15 Simpson University - 7:00 pm (MT)

Saturday, March 14th - Second Round
Winner of Game #1 vs Winner of Game #2 - 4:00 pm (MT)

Rocky's Season in Review

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It's been an unforgettable first season for head coach Danny Neville, as the Battlin' Bears finished the regular season and the conference tournament with an overall record of 28-3, winning their final 18 straight contests. The Rocky men have not lost a contest since December 20th against Hope International University, with their last loss to a conference opponent coming on December 12th against Dickinson State. 

In a season full of memorable moments, the Frontier Conference Tournament was a highlight, to say the least. After winning the Frontier Conference Regular Season by three games with a conference record of 20-2, Rocky entered the tournament as the top seed, already clinching an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship. Following a nine-point victory in the first round of the tournament, Rocky took on the four-time defending champions in Montana Tech. With 30 seconds remaining in the game, the contest was already an instant classic, as neither team led by more than six points all evening. After Montana Tech sank a pair of free throws to go up by two with 1.9 seconds to go, Omari Nesbit would sink the shot heard around the nation, a three-pointer from the opposite three-point line, a play that was featured on ESPN's Top-Ten Plays as No. 1, and garnered millions of views on social media. The Battlin' Bears would enter the Frontier Conference Championship game the following evening, where they would eventually secure an overtime victory, clinching their first conference tournament victory since the 2013-14 season. 

Defense has been the calling card of the Rocky men all season, ranking third in the NAIA in points allowed per game (65.4) and second in defensive rebounds allowed (27.9). During their 18-game win streak, the Battlin' Bears have allowed 80 or more points just once, an 86-82 win against Carroll College on January 23rd. 

Omari Nesbit has powered the Rocky offense this season, averaging 17.2 points per game this season. His 499 total points this season tie for the 11th most in program history, while his 71 three-pointers tie for the eighth most in a season. Rocky's team percentage of 37.8% from three-point range ranks inside the top-25 in the NAIA. Jacob Bilodeau, Drew Bowman, and Mekhi Jourdan all enter the national tournament shooting over 42% from deep. 

In 11 games against NAIA National Tournament teams this season, the Rocky men totaled a record of 9-2. The Battlin' Bears enter the NAIA Men's Basketball Championship for the first time since 2018-19 and will seek their first tournament win since their NAIA National Championship-winning run of 2009. 

Meet the Teams

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#7 Lewis-Clark State College 
The Warriors of Lewis-Clark State College enter the NAIA National Championship as the seventh seed with an overall record of 24-7, earning an automatic berth after winning the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Regular Season Championship. This season marks the 20th appearance in the NAIA Championship for the Warriors, totaling a postseason record of 12-18 and adding a second and third-place finish in their program history. 

Despite a loss on its home floor in the CCC Tournament Championship game, LC State finished its regular season strong, winning ten of its final 11 games entering the championship. The Warriors are a formidable defensive unit, ranking seventh in the NAIA in points allowed per game (66.9). Offensively, LC State limits turnovers, ranking third in the NAIA with 9.3 turnovers per game, while ranking inside the top 20 in three-point percentage (37.8%). 

Senior guard John Lustig earned All-CCC honors, leading the Warriors in scoring (15.6 ppg), field goal percentage (57.5%), free throws made (84), and rebounds per game (7.3). Sophomore guard Dylan Skaife was also named All-CCC, averaging 12.2 points per game and leading LC State with 86 made three-pointers this season at a 38.4% clip. 

#10 The Master's University
The Mustangs of The Master's University enter the NAIA National Championship as a ten-seed with an overall record of 21-9, earning an automatic berth after winning the Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC) Tournament. This marks the 15th appearance in the NAIA Championship for the Mustangs, totaling a postseason record of 10-13. 

Making an appearance in the NAIA Championship Tournament for the fourth consecutive season, The Master's entered the GSAC tournament as a three-seed, defeating two NAIA National Tournament qualifying teams in Hope International and Benedictine University Mesa on their way to a tournament championship. A fast-paced Master's offense averages 83.9 points per game this season, ranking 16th in the NAIA in made three-pointers per game (9.9) and 11th in three-point attempts per game (28.5). 

The Mustangs are led by All-GSAC performers Avery Jackson and Tiago Soares. Jackson, a senior guard, leads the team in scoring, averaging 19.5 points per game on 49.8% field goal percentage and 38.2% three-point percentage. Soares, a senior forward, averages 10.4 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. 

#15 Simpson University
The Red Hawks of Simpson University enter the NAIA National Championship as a 15-seed with an overall record of 16-11, earning an automatic berth after winning the California Pacific Conference Tournament. This season marks the first-ever appearance in the NAIA National Championship Tournament for Simpson. 

After entering the new year with a 4-8 overall record, the Red Hawks finished the season strong, compiling a 12-3 record in the calendar year, including a pair of four-point wins in the Cal Pac Tournament. 

The Red Hawks rank inside the top 50 in the NAIA in field goal percentage (47.9%) and free throw attempts per game (22.4), while limiting opponents to just 8.0 offensive rebounds per game, the 14th-best mark in the country. A disciplined defensive unit ranks fourth in the country in personal fouls per game, averaging 12.7 per game. 

Simpson boasts a dynamic duo in junior guard Timothy Parker and senior forward Nian Allen. Parker leads the Red Hawks in scoring (19.9 ppg), field goal percentage (53.0%), free throws made (114), assists (2.7 per game), and steals (1.2 per game). He has scored 30 or more points in two of his last three games, including a 32-point effort in the Cal Pac Championship Game. Allen, a six-foot-seven-inch, 220-pound forward, averages 17.5 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game, scoring in double-figures in all but three games he's appeared in this season.