The Great Falls Explorers played perhaps their best eight minutes of the Continental Basketball Association season to open Thursday night's game against the Minot Skyrockets.

But it took a late 3-pointer by southpaw guard Cody Toppert to earn a 96-95 victory for coach Scott Wednman's Explorers before about 400 fans at Four Seasons Arena.

The Explorers (6-15) outscored Minot 23-5 to open the contest at Four Seasons Arena, but the Skyrockets (12-6) rebounded with a vengeance to grab the lead in the second quarter with a 21-1 spree.

The teams were close the entire second half before the 6-4 Toppert nailed a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to give Great Falls the lead. Minot missed a shot with two seconds to play as Great Falls won five of seven points and salvaged a split of the two-game series.

Toppert scored 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting for coach Scott Wedman's Explorers. Nate Green added 17 and Marlyn Bryant had 15.

Marshall Phillips scored 17 of his 26 points in the first half to pace Minot. Leading scorer Ronnie Fields sat out his second straight game with illness.

The Explorers finish their brief three-game homestand Saturday night against the Butte Daredevils, and the game will start at 7:05 p.m., an hour later than usual.