BUTTE, Mont. -- The Montana Tech women's basketball team will head into the final game of the regular season with a chance to hang a banner.

The Orediggers topped rival Montana Western, 80-67, at home Thursday evening to remain a game behind Rocky Mountain for the top spot in the Frontier Conference standings. A Montana Tech win over No. 25 Providence paired with a Battlin' Bears loss to Western Saturday would give the Orediggers a share of the conference regular-season title, their first since 1983.

Liv Wangerin led the way for Tech with a career-best 23 points, shooting 7-for-9 from the field in the process. It was the third time this season the junior topped the 20-point plateau. Aubrie Rademacher (14 points) and Kia Wasson (11) joined Wangerin in double figures, while Hadley Humphreys and Macy Mayer led the Orediggers on the boards with seven rebounds apiece.

Montana Tech (18-9, 9-5 Frontier) found itself locked in a dogfight early. Kia Wasson's strong play off the bench — the senior scored eight of her 11 in the first period — gave Tech an 18-17 lead after 10 minutes.

The Diggers earned some breathing room in the second quarter to head into the halftime break with a 33-25 advantage.

After intermission, a Wangerin jumper to open the third gave Tech its first double-digit lead of the ballgame. Montana Western (7-19, 2-12) cut the deficit to six later in the quarter, but the Orediggers responded by expanding the lead. A couple of Wangerin free throws with 5:59 left in the fourth gave Tech a 17-point lead, its largest of the game, and the Diggers cruised to the win.

With the victory, Tech claimed the season series against its rival to the south, 2-1, and the Orediggers kept their hopes of a share of the Frontier's regular-season championship alive. To do so, Montana Tech must complete the season sweep of No. 25 Providence Saturday at 2 p.m.

Both Montana Tech's women's and men's teams will celebrate Senior Day at the conclusion of Saturday's women's game.

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