BILLINGS – The Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bear women held off the University of Providence 67-60 in Saturday’s basketball doubleheader opener, but the Argos’ men earned a split with a 93-89 victory in the late Frontier Conference game inside the Fortin Center.
Alecia Chamberlin scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to pace Rocky’s women (8-1, 2-0) to a win on head coach Wes Keller’s birthday. Freshman Kloie Thatcher added 12 points, Marissa Van Atta scored 11, and Markaela Francis had 10 to go along with five rebounds and four assists.
Rocky led 30-24 at halftime and never gave up the lead after the break.
Four players scored 15 points or more for Providence’s men, led by 20 each from Jalen Shepard and Brandon Cotton. Shepard had a double-double with 10 assists, and also made the play of the night on a ferocious one-handed dunk midway through the first half.
Jared Samuelson scored 30 to pace Rocky (7-2, 1-1) on 10-of-16 shooting, while Satchel McDonald added 19 on 8-of-10, but the rest of the team made just 15 of its 40 shots.
NEXT: Both Rocky teams step out of conference to take on crosstown rival MSU Billings. The women play Friday, Dec. 7 with the men set for Saturday, Dec. 8. Both games start at 7:30 p.m. inside Alterowitz Gym.
