BUTTE, Mont. – The Montana Tech women's basketball team won their third consecutive game with an 80-71 victory over Montana Western Thursday night at the HPER. With the victory, Tech inches closer to clinching the sixth and final spot in the Frontier Conference playoffs.

Saturday's game against Westminster is a critical; if they win then they are in. If the Diggers shall fall, they will need some help from rival Carroll who play Rocky on Saturday and a MSU-Northern victory over Rocky.

The Diggers (11-17, 3-10 Frontier) shot 44.8 percent from the field for the game and outrebounded Western 38-33. After not taking a free throw in the first half, Tech went 18-of-22 (.818) from the charity stripe in the second half.

The highly competitive first half saw 12 lead changes and three ties. Tech got on the board first with a three pointer from senior Mandy Machinal. Following several basket exchanges, Western broke free to take a five point lead (15-10) thanks to back-to-back threes by Jenna Banks. Tech battled back to tie up the contest at 29 all with 5:56 left in the first. The Orediggers used a 7-2 run to go up by five with three minutes remaining, but that was short lived as Western's Banks hit two straight shots tying up the contest at 36 at halftime.

The second half belonged to Montana Tech. Western's Kaci Matthies hit a jumper to put the Bulldogs up 40-38 early on in the half but that was the last time Montana Western would lead in the game. Martha Dembek hit back-to-back three to give the Diggers the 44-40 edge and Tech never looked back. Tech's lead increased by seven (51-44) midway through the half thanks to Hattie Thatcher's fourth three pointer of the game. The Bulldogs were able to pull within one with 10:16 to go, however the Digger offense responded as they held on the eight-point victory.

Machinal paced the Diggers with her second consecutive 20-point performance and team-high 21 points. Dembek scored 20 points for the second time in her career. Senior Kabri Emerson added 10 points and 11 rebounds for her 15^th career double-double. Thatcher played all 40 minutes and filled the box sheet with 15 points, seven assists, and six rebounds.  

Montana Western drops to 10-19 overall and 2-11 Frontier. With the loss, the Bulldogs are eliminated from playoff contention. Sierra Higheagle led the Bulldogs with a game-high 28 points.

Tech returns to Kelvin Sampson Court on Saturday when they host no. 3 Westminster College at 5:30 p.m. on senior day.