Box Score HAVRE — Five players scored in double figures for No. 21-ranked Montana State-Northern as the Lights topped Montana Tech 72-57 Tuesday night in the first round of the Frontier Conference college men's basketball playoffs.

The loss finished an 11-15 season for Montana Tech, which put together an inspired comeback against the Lights after trailing them by 39-17 at halftime.

“I'm proud of our guys,” Oredigger head coach Aaron Woliczko said. “At halftime, I said 'let's leave it all out there.' And they played their heads off for 20 minutes and almost got a chance to get back in the game there.”

Joe Simpson led Northern with 16 points, Ben Mitchell, LaVon Myers and Shaun Tatarka scored 11 apiece, and Devin Jackson tallied 10.

True freshman Adam Greger led Montana Tech with 17 points. Cole Conway had 14 and Tyree Haynie 10.

“I thought one of the things we did great was guard their starting perimeter players,” Woliczko said. “We did a really good job on those buys. But the post guys hurt us. We get so extended on the guards, we try to guard their posts (without help).

“That was probably the difference in the game. They're driving and spinning, and being crafty.”

Plus, Northern enjoyed a decided size

advantage inside the key and capitalized on it.

Tanner Neumann came off the bench to score nine points and sparked the Montana Tech club in the second half, the coach said.

“He set some great screens, was plaing defense and got a couple of steals on inbound passes,” Woliczko said. “He just battled his head off trying to get rebounds and he got us going again.”

Conway had 11 rebounds to go with his 14 points to lead the team in most double-digit rebounding games this season. Greger yanked down seven rebounds.

“I'm really happy with scoring 40 against these guys in the second half,” Woliczko said. “Some teams don't do that for an entire game.”

The loss ended the collegiate careers of the three Montana Tech seniors — Conway, Haynie and A.J. Paine.

The first-round loss to a nationally ranked team is one of the elements of playing in the Frontier Conference, Woliczko said.,

“It's obviously one of the toughest conferences in the country,” he said. “There's some good things about that, but this one of the tough things about it.”

Northern will play host to the University of Great Falls Friday at 7 p.m., as the No. 5 Argos downed No. 4 Carroll College 80-78 Tuesday in Helena.

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