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Rocky Mountain College Athletics

Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears

Events and Results

Events and Results

McCoy vs Master's '26
Bailee Walls
66
The Master's TMU 22-10
67
Winner Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY 30-3
The Master's TMU
22-10
66
Final
67
Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY
30-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
The Master's TMU 29 37 66
Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY 40 27 67

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

TICKET PUNCHED: Rocky Men’s Basketball Advances to the NAIA MBB National Championship Final Site

BILLINGS, Mont.- A dramatic 67-66 victory in the Round of 32 sends Rocky Men's Basketball to the NAIA MBB National Championship Final Site in Kansas City.

Rocky's 30th win of the season is the most in program history, as the Battlin' Bears have advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time since their National Championship run of 2009.  

How It Happened
The Master's opened the scoring on the evening, but Rocky would answer with a 12-4 run, taking a five-point lead after the opening six minutes of play. The Battlin' Bears would control the next six minutes of play, forcing four Mustang turnovers and sinking seven of their next nine, pushing their lead up to 16 points following a three-pointer from Mekhi Jourdan. Scoring would come at a premium for the final five minutes of play, but The Master's would sink all seven of their free throw attempts in that span to cut their deficit to 11 at halftime. 

Both teams struggled from three-point range to open the half, combining to shoot just two of 12, but a Sherman Royal III and-one maintained Rocky's lead at 11 at the 11:59 mark. The Master's would make their run over the next six minutes of game-time, aided by an ice-cold Battlin' Bear offense, trimming their deficit down to four with six minutes to play. Omari Nesbit would drop back-to-back jumpers, as well as a pair of free throws, to build the Battlin' Bear lead back to eight. Again, the Master's would respond with an 8-0 run to tie the game with just over two minutes to play. Free throw shooting would again be crucial down the stretch in a physical contest, as Omari Nesbit would go three-of-four from the line to match the Mustangs' output, tying the game again with a minute to go. After The Master's split a pair of free throws to go up one, they would get a stop defensively with just over 30 seconds to go, up by one. The Battlin' Bears forced a missed three-pointer, and Jacob Bilodeau was fouled on the rebound, sending him to the free throw line with ten seconds to play. The junior forward would sink both free throws to give Rocky the one-point advantage, leaving The Master's with one final possession. The Mustangs would drive to the basket, but Royce Robinson forced a miss, Carter McCoy secured the rebound, and Mekhi Jourdan leaked out to avoid a late foul, as the Battlin' Bear faithful went into a celebratory frenzy in the Fortin Education Center as Rocky advanced through the First and Second Rounds and into the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship Final Site. 

Notable Statistics
Omari Nesbit totaled a game-high 25 points, along with four assists, two steals, and a block. Sherman Royal III also finished in double-figures with 10 points off the bench. Carter McCoy secured a career-high 15 rebounds, along with three steals and six points. 

Rocky shot 37.9% from the field and just 23.3% from three-point range in a defensive slugfest. The Battlin' Bears outrebounded The Master's 35-33, snagging eight offensive rebounds, while forcing 15 Mustang turnovers. The physical win-or-go-home contest featured 40 personal fouls and 53 free throw attempts. Rocky finished 16-of-22 from the charity stripe, while The Master's hit 23-of-31. 

The Master's was led by 22 points from Avery Jackson, who scored nine of his points in the final 3:30 of the contest. 

Up Next
The final schedule for the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship will be announced following the conclusion of the Second Round contests. 
 
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