BUTTE -- The Montana Tech women's basketball team was perfect at home in the 2025-26 regular season.
And the 17th-ranked Orediggers couldn't have capped off the unbeaten home slate in any bigger fashion. With a huge second half, Montana Tech defeated No. 6-ranked Dakota State, 78-68, to celebrate Senior Night in Valley Bank Arena.
Hadley Humpherys, who missed the Orediggers' road loss at Dakota State on January 16, led the way for Montana Tech with 23 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
Three of her teammates joined her in double figures.
Halle Haber chipped in 15 points;
Liv Wangerin did a little of everything with 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals; and
Brooke Badovinac added 11 points and seven boards.
The Orediggers didn't lead in the first half. After trading layups on the game's first two possessions, Cierra Watkins hit a 3-pointer that put DSU up for the remainder of the half.
Tech hung around, though. Trailing 12-8 at the midway point of the first, Humpherys found Haber in the paint, who converted the layup and the foul. The sophomore made the free throw to cut the lead to one. But Dakota State finished the first on an 8-0 run, leading 22-13 headed into the second.
DSU made the first bucket of the second to extend the lead to 11, but Montana Tech began to reel the Trojans in.
Olivia Nielson made back-to-back layups to cut into the lead, and the Orediggers closed the half on an 11-2 run, trailing 31-30 at halftime.
Haber opened the second half with a basket that gave the Orediggers their first lead of the game, 32-31, and the fight was on. The teams traded the lead eight times in the third, but the Trojans got the final blow in. Wasmund converted a three-point play with 5 seconds left in the third, sending the game to the fourth with a two-point Trojan lead.
The fourth was all Orediggers. Montana Tech scored 30 points in the final 10 minutes, shooting 9-for-17 from the field and 10-of-13 from the free throw line to cap off one of the biggest wins in program history.
A Humpherys layup with 6:28 to play put the Orediggers ahead for good, and Montana Tech took control when
Avery Carlson sparked a 7-0 run with her 3-pointer at the 3:46 mark. Wangerin's free throws with 1:10 remaining gave the Orediggers a double-digit lead.
Tabor Teel led the way for the Trojans with 20 points and five rebounds.
It was Montana Tech's fourth win over a ranked opponent this season, all inside Valley Bank Arena.
With the win, the Orediggers climbed within a game of first-place DSU in the Frontier standings. Tech and Carroll, with the Saints' win Saturday, remain tied for second with identical 16-4 records.
Montana Tech will wrap up the regular season with a roadtrip up north. The Orediggers head to Havre to take on MSU-Northern Friday before stopping by Great Falls on their way back for a Saturday tilt with Providence. Both games start at 5 p.m.
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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