February 28, 2026
BUTTE, Mont. — Behind a career-type performance from Becky Melcher and a blistering day from the 3-point line, fifth-seed Montana State-Northern powered past fourth-seed Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 82-74 on Saturday afternoon in a Frontier Conference women’s tournament quarterfinal No. 3 at the Butte Civic Center.
Melcher poured in 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, knocking down seven 3-pointers as the Skylights controlled the game for long stretches on a neutral floor. MSU-Northern (17-11 overall record) built a 29-15 lead after the first quarter and never trailed again, offsetting RMC’s strong inside play and late push to advance in the Frontier Conference postseason.
MSU-Northern set the tone early with its perimeter shooting. Melcher hit an early 3-pointer to help the Skylights out to a 21-9 lead with 4:41 left in the first quarter, and Addie Kiefer’s late jumper pushed the advantage to 29-13.
Rocky trimmed the deficit to 44-38 at halftime, but Melcher beat the second-quarter buzzer with a jumper that maintained MSU-Northern’s momentum heading into the break.
Rocky Mountain continued to surge in the second and third quarters behind the frontcourt duo of Paige Wasson and Isabelle Heggem, but each time the Battlin’ Bears closed the gap, MSU-Northern answered from the perimeter.
Melcher drilled another 3-pointer off a feed from Taya Trottier at the 6:26 mark of the third to make it 55-49, and a jumper by Lauren Gunn later in the quarter stretched the lead to 66-55. The Skylights outscored Rocky 22-21 in the third to carry a 66-59 cushion into the final quarter.
Rocky Mountain stayed within striking distance in the fourth behind Wasson’s scoring, and the Bears’ work on the glass — they finished with a 43-36 rebounding edge, including 16 offensive boards — kept possessions alive. But MSU-Northern’s efficiency proved decisive.
The Skylights shot 48.2 percent from the field (27-of-56 field goals) and a scorching 53.8 percent from 3-point range (14-of-26), while Rocky went 27-of-69 overall (39.1 percent) and just 4-of-25 from deep.
Trottier complemented Melcher with 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists, repeatedly creating shots for teammates and calmly closing the game at the line. Ciera Agasiva added 13 points for MSU-Northern.
In the final minutes, Canzas HisBadHorse knocked down a jumper to make it 75-67 with 1:49 remaining, and after Rocky answered with a late 3 from Gabriella Biittner, Trottier hit two free throws with 46 seconds left to restore a double-digit margin at 82-72. Rocky’s Wasson converted a jumper at the horn to cap the scoring.
Wasson led Rocky Mountain with 29 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, while Heggem posted 21 points and 12 rebounds, also blocking two shots. The Battlin’ Bears went 16-of-19 at the foul line (84.2 percent) and finished with four blocks and seven turnovers, but their cold perimeter shooting contrasted with MSU-Northern’s outside accuracy and ultimately proved the difference.
MSU-Northern advances in the 2026 Frontier Conference women’s basketball tournament after leading in every quarter — 29-15, 15-23, 22-21 and 16-15 — in a game that showcased the Skylights’ perimeter firepower and Rocky Mountain’s interior strength. The win positions the Skylights for a semifinal matchup with top-seed Dakota State (S.D.) on Sunday at 12 p.m. (Mountain Time).
Rocky Mountain (20-9 overall record) awaits to hear from the NAIA national office for an at-large invitation to the national tournament.