BILLINGS — The Montana Tech women's basketball team is building positive early season momentum.
The NAIA Orediggers went into Alterowitz Gymnasium on Tuesday afternoon and knocked off NCAA Division II MSU Billings 63-54, stunning the Yellowjackets in front of a packed house for the team's annual Elementary Day game.
"We've got 400, 500 students form around the area, and it's one of those things where when you envision playing college basketball you envision environments like this," MSUB athletic director Michael Bazemore told MTN Sports.
"It's great to partner with the community as these young individuals look up to our student athletes and it could inspire them to play basketball, or any of their other sports, here."
MSUB clung to a 34-31 lead entering the second half after a Halle Haber buzzer-beater pulled Tech within three. The Orediggers then outscored the Jackets 20-10 in the third quarter. Tech also outscored MSUB in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
Hadley Humphreys led Tech with 14 points and eight rebounds. The Orediggers had four players in double figures, as Haber (12), Liv Wangerin (11) and Brooke Badovinac (11) paced a well-balanced Tech attack. Layla Baumann had 16 points to lead MSUB and was the only Yellowjacket in double figures.
MSUB will play in Malta on Sunday afternoon against MSU-Northern in its Community Outreach game, while Tech is off until Oct. 31 when it hosts Southern Oregon.
