BUTTE, Mont. – A strong second half from Montana Tech pushed the Orediggers past the University of Providence women's basketball team 89-77 Saturday night.

The Orediggers shot 81% in the second half to erase a seven point halftime lead from the Argos. Four Orediggers scored in double figures, led by Kaylee Zard's 24.

"It was a tough loss tonight," head coach Bill Himmelberg said. "You have to give all the credit to Tech they shot the ball really well. It was a good shooting night for them in the second half. We gave ourselves a chance a couple of times but we didn't finish like we needed to. Our defense wasn't quite what it needed to be. It's tough on the road sometimes."

The Argos were led by Kenedy Cartwright who scored 19 points and pulled down 5 rebounds. Jenna Randich added 17 points and Emilee Maldonado chipped in 14. Bailey Cartwright recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

"We didn't get as much production out of the post as we normally do," Himmelberg said. "It was a pretty physical game. We didn't finish as well as we could have."

The Argos will return to Great Falls for a pair of critical home games next week. They'll next hit the McLaughlin Gym floor on Friday, Feb. 21 at 5:30 p.m. against Montana Western.

"These next homes games are so huge," Himmelberg said. "We have to take care of business at home if we want a chance."