HELENA, Mont. – No. 15-ranked Rocky Mountain College held Oregon Tech to 33% shooting on the afternoon, using two big second half runs to pull away for a 74-53 victory at the Carroll Thanksgiving Classic.
 
Isabelle Heggem scored 19 points with 11 rebounds for the Battlin' Bears (4-1), who connected on 9-of-20 3-point attempts in the win.
 
The Lady Owls (3-4) took a 12-9 lead with three minutes left in the first quarter following a banked-in 10-foot runner from Tatum Schmerbach. Heggem immediately answered with a 3-point play – starting a 14-0 run, helped by 3-pointers from Tailyn Black and Paige Wasson – giving Rocky a 23-12 lead just seven seconds into the second period.
 
OIT cut the margin to 25-21 on a Jozie Ramos basket, but RMC ended the half on a 9-2 run to take an 11-point lead to the break.
 
Schmerbach started a Tech third quarter rally with a 3-point play and a pair of free throws, with an Olivia Sprague jumper getting the Lady Owls within 47-42 with a minute left in the frame.
 
The Bears had an answer, as Angeline Cavanaugh hit consecutive triples in a 10-2 run that ballooned the lead to 57-44 with seven minutes left in the game, followed by a 10-point run to close the game.
 
Schmerbach led the Lady Owls with 17 points, Sprague scored 16 and Ramos added 14 – but the rest of the club combined for just six points.
 
OIT ends a 5-game road stretch against Top-25 opponents tomorrow night, facing No. 16 Carroll College at 4 p.m.