GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence men's basketball program handed #8 Montana Tech their first conference loss defeating the Orediggers 70-59 Saturday night.
The Argos (10-8) scored the first basket of the game when senior Sam Vining found senior Jake Olsen in the post for a layup.
The Orediggers (14-4) would respond immediately with a layup of their own, but layups from Olsen and senior Jevon Burton gave the Argos a 6-2 lead.
UP would continue their momentum going on an 8-0 run behind a floater by junior Kenny Curtis and free throws by senior Jaylin Reed.
The Orediggers would answer with a layup, but a fastbreak layup from Reed and an and one layup from senior Davien Harris-Williams put the Argos ahead by 13.
Montana Tech would continue to score but a layup by junior Drayton Caoile and a fadeaway jumper from Vining kept the Argos ahead by 12 with seven minutes remaining in the half.
Over the next five minutes the Orediggers slowly cut into the Argo lead, but a jumper from senior Jaylin Reed and a three from Harris-Williams kept the Argos in front 32-23.
Montana Tech would go on a 5-0 run but free throws from Harris-Williams made it 34-28 going into the break. Harris-Williams led the way for UP with nine points in the first half.
The Orediggers would start the half with a pair of buckets, but a layup by Olsen and a three by Curtis extended the Argo lead to nine.
Both sides would go back and forth until a pull-up jumper from Curtis and a corner three from Vining made it 54-41 midway through the second half.
Olsen would make it a 7-0 run after a layup, and following a pair of layups from Montana Tech, Curtis would hit his third three of the game to increase the UP lead back to 13.
Following free throws by the Orediggers, Vining would hit a three to put the Argos ahead by 15 with five minutes left.
The Orediggers would cut the Argo lead to eight with two minutes left, but a late three by Harris-Williams secured the Argos victory over #8 Montana Tech 70-59.
The Argos had four double-digit scorers in Harris-Williams with 17, Curtis with 13, Olsen with 11, and Burton with 10.
The Argos will be back in action Jan. 25 when they host Rocky Mountain College. Tip-off versus the Battlin' Bears is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the McLaughlin Center.
