BILLINGS, Mont. -- Despite double-figure scoring efforts from Hayden Diekhans and Brayden Koch, the No. 6-ranked Montana Tech men's basketball team dropped its Frontier Conference opening game, 63-55, to host Rocky Mountain College Saturday in Billings.

Diekhans led the team with 12 points and six rebounds in the loss, while Koch chipped in 10 points for the Orediggers.

Montana Tech (12-2, 0-1 Frontier) fell behind in the early going and never did recover in the first half. The Diggers trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half before heading into the break behind, 30-23.

Rocky Mountain quickly returned the lead to double-digits in the early minutes of the second, but Tech methodically cut the deficit to a single point with 7:22 remaining. Though the Orediggers hung within two possessions for the remainder of the game, Tech never broke through with the lead. Rocky finished the game with solid defense down the stretch, holding the Diggers to just three points in the final 3:15 to hold onto the victory.

Montana Tech will resume conference play at home Thursday with a 7 p.m. start against MSU-Northern.

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