HELENA, Mont. -- The No. 15-ranked Montana Tech men's basketball team nearly completed the comeback but eventually fell, 59-58, Saturday afternoon at Frontier Conference rival Carroll College.

Keeley Bake led the Orediggers (20-6, 8-5 Frontier) with 14 points and three assists, headlining three Tech players in double-digit scoring. Ifeanyi Okeke (11 points, seven rebounds) and Hayden Diekhans (10 points, nine rebounds) also reached 10-plus points for the Diggers.

Carroll (12-14, 7-6) took an early lead with a 3-pointer and built that advantage to 15-7 before the Orediggers got their feet under them. Tech battled against that deficit, but the Saints led at the half, 28-21.

After the break, Montana Tech began the second half with an 8-0, taking the lead on Okeke's layup with 18:18 left in regulation. After a Karson Peffer 3-pointer put the Diggers up by 3 not long afterward, Carroll ripped off another 8-0 run to take the lead for good. Tech cut the deficit to one later on but never managed to retake the lead.

Isaiah Crane led the Saints and all scorers with 16 points.

Montana Tech will return home for the final two games of the regular season, beginning with a 7 p.m. Thursday contest against another fierce rival in Montana Western.

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