BUTTE — Montana Tech had hoped to avenge a sweep early in the Frontier Conference basketball season to rival Montana Western on Thursday night. The Oredigger men were almost able to pull off the upset, but the Bulldogs again left the Mining City with a sweep.
The Western men won 75-71 and the women won 67-56.
The men’s effort was led by a strong performance from Brandon Jones, who put up game highs in points and rebounds with 23 and 16, respectively. The Bulldogs held a double-digit lead at halftime, but a stingy Tech defense clawed back in the second half. The Orediggers outscored Western 35-33 in the second half, but the home team lost Chris O’Neill and Derrius Collins, who both fouled out. O’Neill led Tech with 16 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Western’s Brianna King looks well on her way to a third straight Frontier Conference player of the week award, as she scored a game-high 28 points on the women’s side. She dropped 11 points in the first quarter to get the Bulldogs out to a quick lead, one they would not give up for the remainder of the game. Tech was paced by a solid performance from Shay Potter, who scored 20 points on the night.
