Box Score BUTTE, Mont. – The #8 University of Providence men's basketball managed to hold off a scrappy Montana Tech team, defeating the Orediggers 76-71.

Zaccheus Darko-Kelly paved the way for the Argos (16-1, 4-1), scoring 18 points, while Brandon Cotton and Jaxen Hashley both added 17. Dawson Fowler dropped 11 points for Providence, while Joel Thabize scored 9. Darko-Kelly and Hashley both brought down 12 rebounds.

"They found a way to win," head coach Steve Keller said. "That's what good teams do. I'm proud of them. This is a tough place to play. They don't lose many games here. They very well could have been 4-0 coming into this game."

The Argos outrebounded the Orediggers 47-34 in a game in which the Argos never led by double digits. The Orediggers (10-6, 2-3) got 21 points and 7 rebounds from Taylor England and 20 points and 8 rebounds from Sindou Diallo. 

"We just found a way to win," Keller said. "They didn't shoot very well, we didn't shoot very well. We went to zone that helped us guard Diallo. He was a handful down there and just scoring at will on us. We had to try and do something"

The Argos will head to Lewiston, Idaho to take on #12 Lewis-Clark State (16-1, 4-1) on Saturday in a juggernaut matchup between two teams fighting for the second spot in the Frontier Conference standings.

"It's going to be hard," Keller said. "We just have to go there and compete. We'll see what happens."