VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- Hayden Diekhans scored 21 points, Brayden Koch added 17, and the No. 6-ranked Montana Tech men's basketball team stayed perfect Saturday evening with a 73-61 win at Valley City State. 

Diekhans added a team-best nine rebounds to his tally, while Rhett Reynolds chipped in eight points and six rebounds. 

Montana Tech (7-0, 2-0 Frontier Conference) began the game on a 7-0 run, but Valley City State climbed back in immediately with a 9-2 run of its own. The teams traded blows until Tech came up with another run, this one an 11-0 barrage that put the Orediggers in front for good. 

Tech held a 40-28 lead at halftime. 

In the second half, the Orediggers stretched the lead to as many as 16 on their way to the victory. VCSU (4-3, 0-3) cut the deficit to as little as seven late in the second half, but Tech went 6-for-6 at the free throw line down the stretch to put the win on ice. 

Joel Nelson led Valley City State with 12 points. 

Montana Tech will take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday before returning to action Friday, November 28 against Montana Western at 7 p.m.

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 and Instagram at @DiggerAthletics.

###