DILLON -- Five Montana Tech men's basketball players scored in double figures Friday evening as the Orediggers upended 2025 NAIA champion The College of Idaho, 83-71, in the opening game of the Montana Western Classic.
The Orediggers, which received votes in the season-opening NAIA coaches' top 25, got a team-best 19 points from
Brayden Koch along with 15 points and eight rebounds by
Asher Williams.
Sugar Eaton,
Justin Asi, and
Ethan Venema also reached double-figure scoring for Tech.
The Yotes started the game with a 6-2 run, but the Orediggers punched right back to take a 9-8 lead on a pair of Koch free throws. The rest of the half went back-and-forth with neither team leading by more than two possessions. Tech took a 47-43 lead into the break after Koch nailed a 3-pointer with 7 seconds left in the period.
Montana Tech (1-0) led the entire second half. Williams' layup made it a six-point lead at the beginning of the second, and Tech extended it to double digits on back-to-back 3s by Williams and Eaton before the first media timeout.
The Yotes (0-1) trimmed the deficit to as few as five in the waning minutes, but the Orediggers went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line down the stretch to clinch the season-opening win.
Montana Tech's victory snapped an 11-game losing streak against the Yotes.
Eaton finished his Oredigger debut with 12 points and four assists. Venema chipped in 10 points and eight boards, while Asi added 11 points.
Tucker Tiddens led The College of Idaho with 14 points.
Montana Tech returns to Dillon Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. tip against Park Gilbert.
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.
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