BUTTE, Mont. – The No. 6 Montana Tech Orediggers applied the defense and outpaced the Lewis-Clark State Warriors 79-55.
The Orediggers (6-1) led at both ends of the game but exploded out of the locker room at halftime.
Tech led 37-30 at the break. The Orediggers opened with a 7-0 run and outscored the Warriors 19-9 in the first eight minutes of the second half leading 56-39 with 11:55 to go.
The Orediggers held the momentum to the buzzer.
The Orediggers held the Warriors to 30.5% from the floor and 2 of 18 from three-point range. Tech hit 44.4% of their shots from the field. The Orediggers struggled from long going 7 for 26 from beyond the arc.
Tech crashed the boards over LC-State outrebounding them 43-31.
Asa Williams led the Orediggers with 19 points. Williams had half of the Orediggers deep balls going 4 for 10.
Ifeanyi Okeke got the Orediggers going early scoring 12 of his season-high 18 points in the first half. Okeke also grabbed six of his seven rebounds before the break.
Chrishon Dixon was the only other Oredigger in double-figures netting 10 points to cap a double-double with 11 rebounds.
Michael Ure finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds and
Camdyn LaRance had 7 points and 6 rebounds.
John Lustig was the only Warrior in double-digits with 13 points. Lustig finished with five rebounds.
Jaedon Bradley led the Warriors on the glass with 8 rebounds and finished with six points.
Montana Tech is off until after Thanksgiving. The Orediggers host Concordia University of Edmonton on December 1
st.