BUTTE -- The fourth-ranked Montana Tech men's basketball team earned a hard-fought Frontier Conference win, 76-64, over visiting Valley City State Sunday inside Valley Bank Arena. 

Brayden Koch scored 19 points and made four assists to lead four Orediggers in double-figure scoring on the evening. Hayden Diekhans added 17 points, Asher Williams chipped in 13, and Ethan Venema scored 10 to go with eight rebounds for Tech. 

Montana Tech (10-3, 4-3 Frontier) got off to a hot start with a 23-6 run to begin the ballgame and led by 18, 37-19, at the halftime break, marking the second time in as many days the Oredigger defense held its opponent under 20 first-half points. 

Diekhans helped the Orediggers maintain the lead in the second half, scoring 11 of his 17 after halftime, but Valley City State (4-7, 0-7) found a run in the late going. The Vikings cut the hosts' lead to 48-42 with 9:46 remaining before Tech regained its footing. 

A Koch free throw just under the 9-minute mark kicked off an 8-3 Oredigger run that brought the lead back out to double digits, and Tech kept it that way for the remainder of the game. 

JR Cison led the way for VCSU with 18 points. 

Montana Tech will take a respite from Frontier Conference play and head to Missoula Wednesday for an exhibition against NCAA Division I member University of Montana. Tip in the Garden City is scheduled for 7 p.m. 

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