BUTTE, Mont. -- The Montana Tech women's basketball team pushed a valiant comeback effort but came up just short Saturday afternoon, dropping a 62-53 decision at the hands of No. 20-ranked Rocky Mountain on Kelvin Sampson Court.

Aubrie Rademacher led the Orediggers (13-7, 4-3 Frontier Conference) with 12 points, while Hadley Humphreys tacked on 11 and seven rebounds.

Rocky Mountain enjoyed an early lead, building a 17-9 advantage after the first period of play. Thanks to a late-half run, Tech cut the deficit to three points by midway through. Trailing by 12 with 5:23 before halftime, Brooke Badovinac made a 3-pointer and converted a three-point play to make the margin manageable. Back-to-back buckets by Humphreys and Macy Mayer trimmed the lead to three by half's end, and Tech entered intermission trailing 27-24.

The Orediggers took the lead early in the third — again on consecutive baskets by Humphreys and Mayer — but Rocky responded with a 9-0 run to retake control.

Tech trailed for most of the second half, but the Diggers cut it to three with a Rademacher basket with 4:54 left in the game. That was as close as the Orediggers got. Rocky Mountain pushed the lead back to double digits prior to game's end.

Sydney Dethman led Rocky Mountain with 14 points and six rebounds.

Montana Tech will return to Frontier Conference action Thursday with a trip to Helena and a 5 p.m. tipoff against Carroll College.

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