(Editor’s note: Rocky Mountain College athletics release)
HELENA – The 18th-ranked Rocky Mountain College women’s basketball team snapped a seven-game losing streak in Helena with a 58-50 win over No. 10 Carroll on Saturday night in Frontier Conference play.
Rocky (17-3, 7-3 Frontier) hadn’t won in the Carroll PE Center since February 3, 2012. They also swept a weekend road trip in Frontier Conference play for the first time since January of that same season.
It was a strong second half performance on Saturday that propelled the Battlin’ Bears to victory. Trailing 27-24 at intermission, Rocky opened the second half with a 12-2 run to take a lead they never gave back.
Carroll (15-6, 7-3) pulled the Rocky lead to 52-50 with 1:52 remaining before the Battlin’ Bears closed out the win with the game’s final six points on six attempts at the foul line.
The Battlin’ Bears shot 52.9 percent in the second half to help them finish the game at 45.0 percent. They tallied 30 points in the paint and went 19 of 22 at the foul line to offset the 3 of 12 from beyond the arc.
Markaela Francis led four Rocky players in double figures with 16 points. She added 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the year. Francis also led the team with four assists and two steals.
Rocky’s defense was strong once again as they held the Saints to 34.0 percent shooting and just 17 points in the second and third quarters combined. Carroll committed 14 turnovers which resulted in 16 points for the Battlin’ Bears.
Alecia Chamberlin added 14 points and six rebounds in the win. Hailee Farstveet had all three of the team’s makes from beyond the arc to finish with 13 points. Brooke Jones had 10 points.
Rocky held a 30-29 edge in rebounds and they recorded seven assists and 17 turnovers.
Jaidyn Lyman led Carroll with nine points. It was the second straight game Rocky held the opposing team’s high scorer in single digits.
Rocky now sits in a three-way tie for first place in the Frontier Conference with eight games to play. The Battlin’ Bears will play six of those games in the Fortin Education Center, including on Thursday when MSU-Northern comes to Billings.
