BUTTE -- Hayden Diekhans' double-double paved the way for the No. 20-ranked Montana Tech men's basketball team to get back in the win column Friday night, 67-48, over visiting Dickinson State inside Valley Bank Arena.
The reigning Frontier Conference player of the year scored 12 points and snagged 13 rebounds for the Orediggers (17-6, 11-6 Frontier), while
Karson Peffer (12 points),
Rhett Reynolds (11), and
Camdyn LaRance (10) joined him in double figures.
Connor Michaud chipped in nine points, nine rebounds, and three assists off the bench.
Free throw shooting was the story of the night for Montana Tech. The Orediggers went a season-best 22-for-23 from the stripe in the win.
Tech got off to a fast start as Peffer made a 3-pointer on the game's opening possession, and Reynolds followed with a layup for the 5-0 lead.
DSU (7-16, 5-12) rallied with a 10-0 run before Montana Tech again found its footing. The Orediggers battled back to retake the lead, 14-13, on Michaud's layup with 10:51 left in the first half, and the contest remained tight until halftime. Tech carried a 29-28 lead into intermission.
Montana Tech's run came early in the second half. Leading by two, Peffer hit another 3 to spark a 10-2 Oredigger run that Diekhans finished with a 3-pointer of his own. DSU never again got the game within two possessions. Tech put the game on ice with a late 8-0 run that
Ethan Venema capped with a transition dunk on a perfectly placed pass from Diekhans.
LaRance scored all 10 of his points in the second half to help seal the win, and
Asher Williams also scored all nine of his in the final 20 minutes.
Isaiah Vargas led the Blue Hawks with 12 points off the bench.
Montana Tech athletics celebrated Valley Bank Night prior to and during the game, showcasing the newly installed Daktronics video board and digital courtside tables made possible by Valley Bank's generous community partnership.
The Orediggers' victory put Tech into a tie for fourth place in the Frontier standings after Dakota State lost at Rocky Mountain. The teams are knotted at 11-6 in league play.
Montana Tech remains home Saturday as Bismarck State will make its first-ever appearance on Kelvin Sampson Court. The game is scheduled for 7 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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