VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- The 21st ranked Montana Tech women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the 2025-26 season Saturday in a Frontier Conference contest at Valley City State, 61-58. 

Halle Haber scored a team-best 16 points for the Orediggers, backed by 15 points by Brooke Badovinac and 10 from Olivia Nielson. Liv Wangerin grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go with her six points. 

Montana Tech (5-1, 1-1 Frontier) could not have been colder to start the game. The Orediggers shot just 9-for-34 in the first half. Tech's defense was nearly as good, however, holding VCSU to just 29 points in the opening 20 minutes. Tech trailed 29-21 at the half. 

The Orediggers stormed back after halftime, unleashing a 12-0 run to take the lead. After Wangerin beat the buzzer to end the third, Tech held a 46-40 advantage. 

The Vikings (4-2, 1-1) kept the game close in the early going of the fourth and eventually tied the game on back-to-back 3s by Tiyana Schwinghammer and JayCee Richter with 3:29 to play. Then the game became a defensive battle. Valley City State took the lead for good when Schwinghammer made one of two free throws with 41 seconds on the clock, and the Vikings held on to win. 

Schwinghammer finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead VCSU, while Richter added 13 points, three steals, and two assists. 

Montana Tech will break for the Thanksgiving holiday before returning to Frontier Conference play at home Friday at 5 p.m. against Montana Western. 

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