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Box Score
BILLINGS, Mont. – The Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears forced 19 turnovers and shut down the Montana State Billings outside offense to steal a 76-71 victory from the Yellowjackets Wednesday night at Alterowitz Gymnasium in the 164th meeting between the two schools.
The Yellowjackets fall to 1-2 on the young season, while the Battlin' Bears did not improve their 4-4 record after a win, with the game being an exhibition for the cross-town rival.
Robert Mayes led the Yellowjackets with a double-double, scoring 24 points and pulling down 15 rebounds in 31 minutes. Mayes also accounted for three steals and a block. Tyler Barnes had the best game of his young Yellowjacket career, scoring 15 points and six boards.
The game went back and forth in the first half as neither team was able to find a groove and establish any type of momentum. There were six ties during the first half, but the Jackets built their largest lead of the game, four points (32-36), after a jumper by Raason Young. A Matt Fogarty jumper just outside the paint brought the Bears back within two points (32-30) before the half.
The Jackets shot 12-of-37 (32.4 percent) from the floor in the first half, and were just 2-for-10 (20.0 percent) behind the arc. MSUB was 6-of-8 (75.0 percent) from the charity stripe.
As the second half got underway, it seemed like an identical start as in the first half, but the Battlin' Bears put together a 17-2 run over the next five plus minutes to build a 15 point lead. That lead seemed to be secure as Rocky managed to keep the game around 13 points until the 2:05 mark.
At that point the Yellowjackets managed to get something going and make a run at the Bears. Mayes had a tip-in off a missed three-pointer by DeAndre Chambers to start the shift.
A trey from Barnes cut the lead to eight with just 1:15 remaining. After Chambers connected on a free throw and then a lay-in, MSUB was back within five, 69-64. The Bears got a pair of Daryl Poole free throws to build the lead back to seven.
The Jackets had another spark as time was winding down when Jaxon Myaer connected on a long three with 12 seconds remaining to bring the game back within four, 75-71. Myaer was then called for an intentional foul as the Bears brought the ball back down the court and Rocky sealed the game with a free throw by Mark Desin.
The Yellowjackets shot 39.1 percent from the field for the game, and were just 4-of-21 from three-point range. MSUB also shot 61.9 percent from the line and converted just 13 points off of 21 Battlin' Bear turnovers.
The Jackets did outscore Rocky in the paint, 38-34, and on second chance points, 20-9. The Bears dominated the game off the bench, outscoring the Jackets 36-15 and 12-6 in fast break points. There were six lead changes and nine ties in the game.
Rocky was led by 22 points from EJ Ross, while three other players were in double figures. Kale Eike had a team-high seven rebounds and 10 points. Sergio Trocha had 12 points and three boards, while Anthony Carter scored 11 points and had three assists.
The Battlin' Bears shot 48.2 percent from the floor and were 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. Rocky was 79.2 percent from the line and were outrebounded by the Jackets, 43-37.
MSUB now heads out on the road for its first road trip of the season, traveling to Chadron, Neb., to take on Chadron State, Saturday, Nov. 27. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
