CHANDLER, Ariz.- Playing their third game in as many days the Orediggers fell 50-39 to the Master's University at the Cactus Classic.
The Mustangs (12-1) jumped out early to a 25-10 lead after one, shooting 53% and placing the Orediggers in a deep hole they fought to dig out of over the next 30 minutes.
Going into the locker room at the half, The Master's led Montana Tech 31-15, with the Orediggers only shooting 18% from the floor (6-32) and 10% from the 3 point line (1-10).
Montana Tech was down, but they were a long way removed from out. Shooting 39% in the 3rh quarter, they outscored the Mustangs 15-13, and would enter the final quarter trailing 44-30.
The Oredigger's intensity would stay in the red the entire 40 minutes, trimming the lead to 10 with three minutes left in the game, but they were just never able to reel in a powerful Mustangs before the final buzzer.
Brooklynn Hankwitz led the Orediggers (7-4) with 11 points, she also tallied six rebounds, as well as one block and steal. Sophomore
Kia Wasson put up seven points in the contest, along with a pair of steals.
The Mustangs finished with two players in double digits, Nicole Chuang with 18, and Isabela Hernandez with 11. Hernandez also pulled down six rebounds for The Masters.
Both teams finished with 44 total rebounds, Montana Tech with 15 offensive- resulting in eight second-chance points. The Mustangs grabbed nine O-boards, which translated into three second-chance points.
The Diggs finished with 13 turnovers, as opposed to the Mustangs 17.
Montana Tech will be back at home for a pair of non-conference matchups on December 28th and 29th, against Lakeland College and Ambrose University respectively, before Frontier Conference play starts on January 6
th.
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