BUTTE -- The 17th-ranked Montana Tech women's basketball team got ahead early and stayed on the throttle en route to an 81-38 victory over visiting Bellevue Friday evening in Valley Bank Arena. 

Freshman Kylie Konen nearly made history for the Orediggers, pairing 11 points with eight blocked shots. Konen's total was just one off the program record for blocks in a game, set by Kelsey DeWit in 2012. 

Konen wasn't the only Tech player with a great night. Hadley Humpherys led the way in the scoring column with 20 points, including a 10-of-10 performance from the free throw line. Olivia Nielson added 12 points off the bench for Tech. 

The Orediggers (19-4, 15-4 Frontier Conference) jumped out to a 22-4 lead after the first quarter and cruised into halftime ahead 37-16. 

Hot shooting helped Tech expand the lead in the second; the Diggers were 17-for-33 from the field in the final 20 minutes. 

Drasoni Kyles led the way for Bellevue (9-15, 5-14) with nine points and six rebounds. 

Montana Tech's win kept the Orediggers in a tie for second in the Frontier standings with three games to go. Conference-leading and No. 6-ranked Dakota State visits Valley Bank Arena Saturday for a 5 p.m. tilt at the top of the league standings. 

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.

###