HELENA, Mont. -- Ifeanyi Okeke helped the No. 7-ranked Montana Tech men's basketball team dominate the defensive end of the floor last week, and that work landed the senior the Erck Hotels/Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Week award, the league office announced Wednesday.

Okeke totaled 10 rebounds (seven of them defensive), five steals, and a block for the Orediggers in a perfect 2-0 week, helping his team to victories over Northwest and Jamestown at the Best Western Tip Off Classic over the weekend.

The forward from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., had 16 points, five boards, three assists, two steals, and a block in Tech's home-opener, a 78-57 blowout of Northwest on Friday. He followed that Saturday with eight points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the Diggers' 84-67 victory against Jamestown.

The Montana Tech defense was stifling in the first half of both games en route to early leads, holding its opponents to 44 total points in those 40 minutes.

Okeke's conference honor was the first of his career.

The Orediggers swept this week's conference awards as Camdyn LaRance claimed the league's offensive player of the week honor.

Montana Tech will remain home this weekend, playing host to another tournament. The Orediggers take on California Maritime at 7 p.m. Friday in the Comfort Inn Fall Classic and No. 22 Lewis-Clark State Saturday evening at 7:30.

Visit Montana Tech athletics' home online, GoDiggers.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news and coverage of the Orediggers. Give Montana Tech athletics a like on Facebook, and follow the Orediggers on X at @MTechDiggers.