HELENA -- Kylie Konen could not have been better protecting the rim in the Montana Tech women's basketball team's two wins over the weekend. 

Monday, the freshman from Dillon earned the Erck Hotels/Frontier Conference defensive player of the week award for her efforts. 

Konen blocked 10 shots in the No. 17-ranked Orediggers two wins inside Valley Bank Arena, adding that tally to 13 points and eight rebounds. 

Friday, she blocked a career-high eight shots in Tech's 81-38 win over Bellevue, coming within one of a 14-year-old program record for blocks in a single game. Konen added 11 points — her second time this season in double figures — three rebounds, and two assists to her line. 

Saturday, Konen backed up that performance with two points, five rebounds, and two blocks in the Orediggers' 78-68 win over No. 6 Dakota State. 

Konen is in the midst of a fantastic freshman season at Montana Tech. The forward is averaging 3.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 23 games so far. 

She is the second Montana Tech women's basketball player to earn a weekly honor from the conference. Halle Haber won the offensive player of the week January 26. 

Montana Tech hits the road to finish out the regular season this weekend, playing at MSU-Northern Friday and Providence Saturday. Both games begin at 5 p.m. The Orediggers (20-4, 16-4 Frontier) sit just a game out of first place in the league standings headed into the final weekend.

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