(RMC release)
CHANDLER, Ariz. - Led by Izzy Spruit's 20 points, No. 20 ranked Rocky Mountain College defeated the San Diego Christian College Hawks 76-55 on Friday afternoon in the 2019 Phoenix Frontier Classic.
Kloie Thatcher's nine points from beyond the arc helped propel the Battlin' Bears (7-3, 1-1 Frontier) to a 17-2 lead early in the first period. Shooting 50 percent through the first two periods, Rocky entered the half up 41-20 over the Hawks (4-8, 0-3 GSAC). Leading by as much as 26, the largest margin of the game, in the third period, Rocky managed to maintain a comfortable lead from tip to buzzer.
Playing in her hometown of Chandler, Ariz., Spruit came off the bench to post a season-high 20 points off of 5-of-8 completed from deep. Markaela Francis had 15 points and a team-high 8 rebounds while Destinee Pointer scored 11.
San Diego Christian's Erica McCarter led the Hawks with 15 points while Megan Moore scored 12. Henriette Gahmig pulled in a team-high six rebounds.
Rocky finished the day shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 44 percent from deep. San Diego Christian shot a 31.3 field goal percentage. The Battlin' Bears outrebounded the Hawks 35-31.
The win counts as the second year in a row that the Battlin' Bears have defeated the Hawks in Chandler, Ariz.
The Battlin' Bears will return home to Billings, Mont., to host the 2019 Hampton Inn Green & Gold Classic on Dec. 27-28 in First Interstate Arena at MetraPark. They will play Bethesda College on Dec. 27 and Mount Royal University on Dec. 28.
