Late 3-pointer lifts Rocky Mountain past BU, 71-68

Box Score
Frontier Standings

BILLINGS, Mont. -- Bellevue University surrendered a nine-point second-half lead and fell 71-68 as Rocky Mountain College hit a late 3-pointer and made the final defensive stop in a Frontier Conference men's basketball contest on Friday evening at the Fortin Education Center.

With the loss, Bellevue drops to 12-2 overall and 7-1 in Frontier Conference play. Both teams entered the matchup receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll. Rocky Mountain improved to 11-3 on the season and 6-2 in league action.

JJ Montgomery, Jaden Phillips and RJ Smith shared the scoring load for the Bruins. Montgomery finished with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including three 3-pointers. Phillips also scored 13 points to go with two assists, and Smith added 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting with a team-high five rebounds. Ahamad Bynum contributed 11 points, while Jermaine Haliburton provided 10 points and a team-best three steals off the bench.

Rocky Mountain was led by Royce Robinson, who totaled a game-high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting with three assists and two blocks. Sherman Royal III added 18 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and three steals, and Mekhi Jourdan finished with 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Drew Bowman scored eight points, highlighted by his late go-ahead 3-pointer.

Rocky shot 52.8 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from beyond the arc, while Bellevue connected at a 48.2-percent clip overall and 38.1 percent from long range. The Battlin' Bears held a narrow 24-23 advantage on the boards, but the Bruins owned a 20-15 edge in points off turnovers and a 19-8 advantage in bench scoring.

How It Happened

Bellevue controlled much of the opening half. After an early tie at 2-2, the Bruins used a 13-6 stretch, highlighted by inside baskets from Phillips and Mathok Mathok and a 3-pointer from Haliburton, to build a 13-6 lead. Rocky answered to pull even at 20-20 on a Bowman 3-pointer with 8:55 remaining.

The Bruins responded with a late-half surge. Connor Mohr came off the bench to knock down a 3-pointer, Haliburton scored in the lane, and Bynum buried a 3-pointer before Montgomery hit a jumper in the closing seconds to send Bellevue to the locker room with a 33-25 advantage.

Bellevue maintained its lead through the early stages of the second half. Smith scored three consecutive baskets in the paint, and Haliburton converted a 3-pointer and a layup before Mathok's layup at the 12:37 mark gave the Bruins their largest lead of the night at 50-41.

Rocky Mountain methodically climbed back into the game behind Robinson and Royal. The Battlin' Bears trimmed the deficit to three on a Kyle Jones 3-pointer, and after Bellevue pushed the margin back to six, Rocky tied the score at 57-57 on a Jourdan 3-pointer with 7:52 left.

Montgomery answered from beyond the arc, and Bynum scored in the lane as the Bruins briefly regained a two-possession lead, but Rocky continued to respond. Jourdan's third 3-pointer of the half gave the Battlin' Bears their first lead since the opening period at 65-64 with 3:19 remaining, and Robinson's layup extended the margin to 67-64 at the 2:31 mark.

Phillips pulled BU even with a 3-pointer from the right wing to knot the game at 67-67 with 1:11 left. After Robinson split two free throws, Smith went one-for-two at the line to tie the game again at 68-68 with 35 seconds to play.

On the ensuing possession, Royal drove and missed a layup, but a loose ball rebound kicked out to the perimeter. Rocky recovered the ball and swung it to Bowman, who connected on a 3-pointer from beyond the arc with seven seconds remaining to put the Battlin' Bears ahead 71-68. Bellevue advanced the ball and freed Phillips for a contested 3-point attempt at the buzzer, but his shot was off the mark as RMC held on for the three-point win.

Top Performers

Bellevue University
• JJ Montgomery: 13 points, 5-of-6 FG, 3-of-4 on 3-pointers
• Jaden Phillips: 13 points, 3-of-7 FG, 1-of-2 on 3-pointers, 6-of-6 FT, two assists
• RJ Smith: 12 points, 5-of-9 FG, five rebounds, one block
• Ahamad Bynum: 11 points, 5-of-10 FG, three rebounds
• Jermaine Haliburton: 10 points, 4-of-8 FG, 2-of-4 on 3-pointers, three steals

Rocky Mountain College
• Royce Robinson: 22 points, 9-of-15 FG, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks
• Sherman Royal III: 18 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, three steals
• Mekhi Jourdan: 12 points, 4-of-8 FG, 2-of-4 on 3-pointers, two steals
• Drew Bowman: eight points, 3-of-6 FG, 2-of-4 on 3-pointers

Inside the Numbers

• Bellevue shot 27-of-56 from the field (48.2 percent) and 8-of-21 from 3-point range (38.1 percent). Rocky Mountain finished 28-of-53 overall (52.8 percent) and 8-of-17 from beyond the arc (47.1 percent).
• The Battlin' Bears held a 24-23 rebounding advantage and a 10-4 edge in second-chance points.
• BU owned a 20-15 advantage in points off turnovers and a 19-8 edge in bench scoring.
• The game featured eight ties and 10 lead changes, with most of the swings coming in the second half.

Up Next

The Bruins will travel to Helena, Mont., on Saturday, Jan. 3, for an 8 p.m. (CT) contest at No. 15 Carroll College inside the P.E. Center.