DILLON -- The No. 11-ranked Montana Tech men's basketball team made it a 2-0 start to the season Thursday afternoon, cruising past No. 15 Southern Oregon, 84-65, in the opening game of the Montana Western Classic. 

Brayden Koch set the pace for the Orediggers with a 31-point outburst. The junior shot 10-for-11 from the field in the win, including a 6-for-7 effort from behind the 3-point line. 

Tech also got double-figure scoring from juniors Rhett Reynolds (11 points) and Karson Peffer (10). 

The Oredigger defense was stifling, holding SOU (0-2) to just 36.8 percent shooting from the field. 

Montana Tech led wire to wire in the victory thanks to a 7-0 run to start the game. Koch nailed a 3-pointer off the opening tip, and Peffer and Reynolds added layups before the Raiders got on the scoreboard. 

Southern Oregon cut the Montana Tech lead to two at the 12:24 mark in the first half, but that was as close as the Raiders got. Tech responded with a 6-0 run and extended the lead to double digits for the first time at the 8:12 mark on a three-point play by Koch. The Orediggers led 40-27 at halftime. 

The second half was the Koch show. The Helena native sank four 3s on his way to 18 second-half points as Montana Tech continued to extend the lead. Tech enjoyed its largest lead, 71-44, after a Koch 3-pointer with 7:28 left in the game. 

Senior Hayden Diekhans led the Orediggers on the boards with nine to go along with his six points and team-best four assists, while freshman Asher Williams scored nine points for Tech. 

Luke Wagstaff and Jacob Axmaker paced Southern Oregon with 14 points each. 

Montana Tech hits the hardwood again Friday with a 1 p.m. tip against Warner Pacific inside Montana Western's Straugh Gymnasium.

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