Montana Tech overwhelms Montana Western 93-65 in Frontier quarterfinals matchup

BUTTE, Mont. — Fifth-seeded Montana Tech used a blistering shooting night and a dominant effort on the glass to roll past fourth-seeded Montana Western 93-65 on Saturday evening in the Frontier Conference men’s basketball postseason quarterfinals at the Butte Civic Center.

The Orediggers (22-7 overall record) shot 59.6 percent from the field (34-for-57 field goals) and 50 percent from 3-point range (12-for-24) while outrebounding the Bulldogs 38-22 in a neutral-site matchup that was essentially decided by halftime. Montana Tech built a 49-26 lead at the break, then played from in front the rest of the way, closing out a wire-to-wire victory with 44 more points in the second half.

Brayden Koch led Montana Tech with a game-high 29 points, going 9-for-15 from the floor and 6-for-11 from beyond the arc while adding five free throws in six attempts. His final 3-pointer of the first half, a deep shot in the closing seconds, pushed the Orediggers’ margin to 49-26 and capped a first-half surge that saw Tech open on an 11-0 run and lead 13-2 after an early dunk by Hayden Diekhans off a Koch assist.

Tech’s depth was a major factor as its bench contributed 45 points, helping maintain separation whenever the starters sat. Asher Williams provided an efficient scoring punch with 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range. Diekhans anchored the interior, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds and four assists, as the Orediggers controlled both the defensive and offensive boards and limited Western to a single shot on many possessions.

Montana Tech continued to apply pressure in the second half, quickly stretching the lead with another Koch 3-pointer early in the half to make it 57-37. Williams added a 3-pointer with 12:38 remaining to keep the margin wide at 66-43, and reserve guard Owen Long knocked down a late 3 to push the advantage to 84-56. Bridger Vogl capped Tech’s scoring with a free throw in the final seconds to reach the final total of 93 points.

Montana Western (20-9 overall record) struggled to keep pace offensively, shooting 38.1 percent from the floor (24-for-63 field goals) and 27.3 percent from 3-point range (6-for-22). The Bulldogs finished with just three assists as a team, often relying on difficult, contested shots against Tech’s half-court defense.

Emanuel Steward led Western with 19 points on 9-for-17 shooting and added seven rebounds, but he received limited scoring support as the Bulldogs were outscored in both halves, 49-26 and 44-39.

The victory sends Montana Tech forward in the Frontier Conference men’s postseason bracket, meeting with top-seeded Rocky Mountain (Mont.) in the semifinals contest Sunday evening at 5 p.m. (Mountain Time).

Montana Western’s season now turns to potential NAIA postseason bid, finding out if they will be part of the 64-field national tournament.