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Rocky Mountain College Athletics

Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears

Events and Results

Events and Results

Robinson vs Bellevue '26 (Round of 16)
Brandon Stinson
73
Bellevue (NE) BVNE 24-8
78
Winner Rocky Mountain (MT) RMMT 31-3
Bellevue (NE) BVNE
24-8
73
Final
78
Rocky Mountain (MT) RMMT
31-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Bellevue (NE) BVNE 28 35 10 73
Rocky Mountain (MT) RMMT 33 30 15 78

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

MOVING ON: Rocky Men’s Basketball Survives Overtime Bout Against Bellevue in the Round of 16

KANSAS CITY, Mo.- An 11-0 run in the overtime period proved to be the difference, as Rocky Men's Basketball withstood an overtime battle against Bellevue, setting up a Quarterfinals matchup against Langston University on Saturday evening.  

The Rocky men, now winners of their last 21 straight contests, had a compilation of key plays en route to a Round of 16 victory, including a game-tying layup from Royce Robinson in regulation and a posterizing overtime dunk from Carter McCoy to lead the Battlin' Bears to another postseason victory, extending a magical season. 
How It Happened
After Bellevue opened the scoring, the Battlin' Bears opened up an 8-0 run, capped off by a dunk from Carter McCoy. Bellevue would battle back to knot the contest at 10-10, but Omari Nesbit would drain a pair of jumpers, followed by a three-pointer from Royce Robinson to extend Rocky's lead back out to six points with eight minutes to play in the first half. A largely physical, defensive first half saw the scoring turn on in the final five minutes, as the teams combined for 7-of-10 from the field to close out the half, with Rocky maintaining a five-point advantage at the break. 

After Jacob Bilodeau scored the first five points of the half, Royce Robinson would rattle off six straight points, sparking a 10-3 run that extended Rocky's lead to 11 with nine minutes to play in the second half. The Battlin' Bears' offense came to a screeching halt, however, as a five-minute scoreless drought would give the Bruins an avenue to erase their deficit to just one point with 4:30 to play in the second half. Royce Robinson would drain a three-pointer to extend Rocky's lead, but a 5-1 response from Bellevue gave them the lead with under two minutes to play. Carter McCoy secured a layup to cut their deficit to one, and Bellevue responded with a layup, but a long offensive rebound by Jacob Bilodeau on the ensuing possession set up Mekhi Jourdan for a three-pointer to tie the game with 40 seconds remaining. Again, it would be Bellevue with an answer, as an acrobatic layup from Jermaine Haliburton put the Bruins up two points with 18 seconds remaining. Royce Robinson again came up big for the Battlin' Bears to close out regulation, sinking a physical layup with six seconds remaining to force an overtime period. 

While the Bruins drained a three-pointer on their opening possession, the extra period was all Battlin' Bears, as Rocky would rattle off an 11-0 run, holding Bellevue scoreless until under a minute remaining. While the Bruins would cut their deficit down to three in the final 30 seconds, Mekhi Jourdan, Omari Nesbit, and Royce Robinson combined to shoot four-of-six from the free-throw line to secure the overtime victory. 

Notable Statistics
Royce Robinson totaled a game-high 24 points, including 14 second-half points, along with seven rebounds and four assists. Carter McCoy tied his career-high with 19 points, along with ten rebounds. Omari Nesbit added 16 points and five rebounds. 

Rocky shot 48.2% from the field and just 23.5% from three-point range, but took 32 trips to the free throw line, sinking 20 of them. The Battlin' Bears narrowly won the free-throw battle, 36-to-34, snagging 13 offensive rebounds and converting them into 19 second-chance points. 

21 points led Bellevue from Jermaine Haliburton. 

Up Next
The Battlin' Bears (31-3) will take on four-seeded Langston University on Saturday at 6:30 pm (MT) / 7:30 pm (CT). 
 
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