BILLINGS, MONT. – An 11-0 run by Rocky Mountain College midway through the second half lifted the Battlin' Bears to an 81-65 win over Valley City State in Frontier Conference Men's basketball Friday night in Billings, Montana.

The Vikings jumped out to a four-point lead early in the first half. A layup by JR Cison made the score 7-3 Vikings less than two minutes into the game. The Bears would come back with a 9-0 run to take a five-point lead a little over two minutes later. Two free throws by Sherman Royal III made it 12-7 RMC with 16:17 to go in the first half. VCSU would battle back to tie the game with a 12-7 run of their own. A bucket by Taylor Bryant-Frey would tie the score at 19-19 with 10:59 to go in the first half. The game would be tied three more times over the next 3:47, but the Vikings could not get the lead back again. Logan Deal would score with 4:00 minutes to go in the half to cut the lead to one at 32-31. But the Bears would end the half on a 10-4 run to lead 42-35 at halftime.

The lead stayed between five and nine points over the first six minutes of the second half. A three-pointer by Cison would make it 55-49 RMC with 11:44 to go in the second half. That would be the closest Valley City State would get the rest of the way. Rocky Mountain College would go on an 11-0 run over the next 3:19 to take a 17-point lead, 66-49. The teams would go back and forth the rest of the way as the Bears prevailed 81-65.

Kaleb Larson led the Vikings with 19 points. Jaelyn Johnson came off the bench to score a career high 16 points and grab six rebounds for the Vikings. JR Cison had 14 points and a team high three assists. Taylor Bryant-Frey had seven points, Caden Grinde had five and Logan Deal added nine rebounds for the Vikings.

 Up Next: The Vikings are in the Montana capital city to play Carroll College on Saturday. Tipoff in Helena is set for 8:00 p.m. Central Time.