(RMC release)
BILLINGS – Three players scored in double figures as the 15th-ranked Rocky Mountain College women’s basketball team picked up a 58-46 home win over Montana State University – Northern on Thursday night in the Fortin Education Center.
Rocky (18-3, 8-3 Frontier) built a 12-point cushion early in the second quarter with a spurt of 10 straight points. After MSU-Northern (9-13, 1-10) got back within 24-21 a few minutes later, the Battlin’ Bears got nine points from Mikayla Jones during a 15-4 run to push the lead back to double digits where it stayed for much of the game.
The Battlin’ Bears shot 47.1 percent as a team while connecting on 6 of 15 from beyond the arc. They scored 32 points in the paint and added 11 points from nine offensive rebounds. Rocky held a 25-22 edge in total rebounds.
Jones led all scorers in the game with 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting. She had three makes from beyond the arc and added two assists and three steals.
Northern shot 45.9 percent in the game with 5 of 10 from deep. The Sky Lights struggled with 24 turnovers that resulted in 23 points for the Battlin’ Bears.
Hailee Farstveet added 14 points and three steals in the Rocky win. Her fifth straight game in double figures include a pair of 3-pointers. Brooke Jones finished with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Markaela Francis led the team with eight rebounds and five assists.
Peyton Filius scored 11 points to lead Northern.
The win keeps Rocky tied with Carroll for first place in the Frontier Conference. The Battlin’ Bears will now get set to host Providence on Saturday. That game will tip at 5:30 p.m. in the Fortin Center.
