This Week's Matchup
 
Frontier Conference Game 15
No. 11 Montana Tech vs. (RV) MSU-Northern
February 18, 2023, 4:00 p.m.
The Armory, Havre, Mont.
 
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FULL GAME NOTES
 
Scouting the Lights
The Lights (18-9, 7-7) lost their last two games after winning five straight including a 67-60 win over the Orediggers. Northern is receiving votes in the most recent NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll after being unraked all season. The Lights are ranked fourth in the league in scoring averaging 73.4 points per game while their defense is holding opponents to a league low 68.9 points. Senior forward Jesse Keltner leads Northern in scoring during conference averaging 13.7 points per game and is 10th in the league. Keltner is fifth in the league in rebounding grabbing 7.1 boards a contest and leads the league in blocks averaging 1.9 per game.
 
Back-to-Back—Carroll College came from behind late in the second half to force the game into overtime last Thursday. The Orediggers made quick work of the overtime period outscoring the Saints 18-9 to win the game. The same day, MSU-Northern and Providence lost their games and the Orediggers didn't have tow wait as the earned their second straight Frontier Conference Championship. The Orediggers are the only regular season champion this year after sharing it with the Saints last season. The back-to-back regular season title is only the second in school history. The last time Tech won the title two years in a row was under head coach Kelvin Sampson in 1983-84 and 1984-85.
 
Top Seed—The Orediggers are the top seed in the Frontier Conference Tournament receiving a bye in the first round. The tournament is held at a single site for the first time in more than a decade. Tech will play Monday February 27th against the remaining lowest seed at the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls at 5 p.m.
 
Leading the Frontier—Caleb Bellach is living up to the preseason player of the year vote. In his second season with the Orediggers, Bellach leads the league in scoring averaging 22.2 points a game and is sixth in rebounds with a 5.9 average. In the last four games, the junior guard has had the hot hand shooting 59.2% from the field and 11 for 20 from beyond the arc. Bellach is second in the conference in free throw percentage knocking down 84.8% from the charity stripe.
 
They Shoot, They Score—The Orediggers had their top shooting performance at Providence Saturday. Tech scored 97 points, their fourth highest of the season and most in a conference game, and they netted 53 points in the first half, second most in a half this season only to a 56 point second half against Portland Bible College. Tech has score 53 points, all in the first half three times this season. The Orediggers shot 61.8% from the field and hit 12 of 24 from beyond the arc in the game.