November 25, 2022

Photo provided by Dickinson State (N.D.) Sports Information

DICKINSON, N.D. – Rocky Mountain (Mont.) of the Frontier Conference never trailed in the forty minutes men's basketball game on the first day of the Sam Milanovich Classic (hosted by Dickinson State, N.D.), rolling past Dakota State (S.D.) 81-71 in the first-ever all-time series meeting at Scott Gymnasium.

The Trojans fell to 2-3 overall record.  The Battlin' Bears lifted their overall record to 5-1.

Dakota State wraps up the two-day tournament Saturday evening against another member of the Frontier Conference.  DSU faces Montana Western, who is coached by former Trojan athlete and assistant coach Mike Larsen.  Tip-off from the Scott Gymnasium is set for 6 p.m. (Central Time)/5 p.m. (Mountain Time).

Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 81, Dakota State (S.D.) 71 – FINAL

• After a scoreless first minute of the game, Jesse Owens opened with a basket inside the paint to give RMC a 2-0 lead with 18:46 on the clock.
• Ronnie Latting answered on the next possession with a lay-up to tie the game at 2-2 with 18:21 on the clock for Dakota State.
• Trailing 14-8, the Trojans went on a 6-0 scoring run to record the second tie of the game at 14-14 capped by basket by DeShawn Kelly with 11:40 to go before halftime.
• After the fourth tie at 19-19, Owens scored six points during Rocky Mountain's 8-0 scoring run to balloon their lead to 27-19 with 6:24 left in the first half.
• The Battlin' Bears would end the first half with a 21-7 scoring outburst.  RMC led as many as 17 points in the first half, at 38-21 with less than a minute to go and 40-23 with less than 15 seconds to go in the first.
• Brett Limke closed the first half with a 3-pointer (assisted by Taylor Edwards) as DSU trimmed RMC's lead to 40-26 by halftime.
• Rocky Mountain shot 17-olf-36 from the field (47.2 percent) in the first twenty minutes and held Dakota State to 12-of-33 field goals (36.4 percent).
• The Battlin' Bears maintained their double-digit lead for the rest of the game, posting their biggest lead of the game by 22 points.  Nick Hart hit a pair of free-throws with 15:39 left for 52-30 lead and a basket by Elliott Brooks with 13:55 remaining for 56-34 lead.
• Down 74-56, DSU went on a 15-7 scoring run in the final 3:13 of the game to cut RMC's lead by 10 points.  Ethan Slaathaug wrapped up the scoring run with the basket with less than 20 seconds to go in the game (trailed 81-71).
• DSU outscored RMC 45-41 in the final twenty minutes of the game.  The Trojans shot 54.5 percent in the second half (18-of-33 field goals) compared to the Battlin' Bears 45.2 percent (14-of-31 field goals).
• Deshawn Kelly led Dakota State with 18 points and two blocks off the bench.  He grabbed five rebounds and registered two assists.  Sam Muller added 12 points (6-of-10 field goals) and grabbed eight rebounds.  Latting tallied 11 points.
• Ethan Damerum posted a double-double of 10 points and pulled down a season-high 14 rebounds for DSU.  He also contributed six assists.  Edwards had four points, five rebounds, and two assists.
• Owens poured in 24 points on his 9-of-17 field goals and 3-of-6 free-throws for Rocky Mountain.  Elliott Brooks had 12 points.  Hart produced a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.  Kace Kitchel scored 10 points and tallied six rebounds off the bench.  He also had three steals.
• Beau Santistevan had seven points and seven rebounds for the Battilin' Bears.  Kael Robinson had six points and seven assists. 
• Rocky Mountain shot 46.3 percent overall from the field (31-of-67 field goals) compared to Dakota State 45.5 percent (30-of-66 field goals). 
• The Battlin' Bears hit 8-of-22 3-pointers and held the Trojans to 3-of-19 3-pointers. 
• RMC hit 11-of-17 from the free-throw line.  DSU was 8-of-13 free-throws.
• The Trojans outrebounded the Battlin' Bears 43-39 in the game.
• Rocky Mountain outscored Dakota State 22-6 in points off turnovers.  DSU outscored RMC 48-40 inside the paint and 39-22 in bench points.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director