Rocky women win Frontier crown

BILLINGS — N’Dea Flye scored 24 points, Kloie Thatcher added 16 and Rocky Mountain College held off Carroll 59-56 in the Frontier Conference women’s tournament championship Tuesday.

The championship was the first since 1988 for Rocky (26-4), the top seed into the tournament. A year ago the Battlin’ Bears went 1-11 in a season shortened by Covid-19 and marred by the suspension and reinstatement of Coach Wes Keller.

Keller guided Rocky to a 44-37 lead through three quarters, only to see the Saints (25-7) score the first eight points of the period — capped by a Jaidyn Lyman layup at the 7:03 mark — to go up 45-44.

That was the first of eight lead changes down the stretch, including back-to-back threes by Carroll’s Dani Wagner (52-50, Carroll) at 1:29 and Rocky’s Mackenzie Dethman (53-52, Rocky) at 1:14.

Christine Denny’s layup gave the Saints their final lead, 54-53, with 48 seconds left. Flye hit two free throws with 43 seconds left to put her team ahead for good.

A Carroll turnover led to a layup by Thatcher with 26 seconds remaining; Thatcher then blocked a 3-point attempt by Carroll, and hit a free throw at the :14 mark to make it 58-54.

Flye hit 1 of 2 free throws with 3 seconds left to complete the scoring.

Denny led the Saints with 17 points. Wagner had nine. Jamie Pickens, the Lady Griz transfer, had six on 2-for-6 shooting.