BUTTE Jason Murphy provided Montana Tech with superior
play in the paint, and Glen McCloud and Lindsay Wooley added
perimeter marksmanship to help the Orediggers race away to a
78-69 win over the Montana State University-Northern men's
basketball team Saturday.
Montana Tech (5-8, 12-17) closed the gap between itself and
Northern to just a half-game in the Frontier Conference. The
Lights slipped to 5-7 in conference play and 11-15 overall
with the loss.
The defeat also kept the fifth-place Lights from moving
into a deadheat with Western Montana, which is currently in
fourth place at 6-6 and hosts the University of Great Falls
tonight.
Murphy led Montana Tech with 21 points and 13 rebounds,
helping the Orediggers hold a 44-37 rebounding advantage.
Murphy was given easier opportunities to score thanks in
part to McCloud and Wooley, who opened up the inside with
three 3-pointers apiece. McCloud and Wooley finished with 13
and 12 points, respectively.
Da'Vion Famber scored a team-high 14 points for Northern,
and Mel Stubblefield added 10 points, seven rebounds and six
assists.
Also for the Lights, Bruce Stacy hit three 3-pointers en
route to 12 points, and Josh Hays added 10 points.
MONTANA TECH 78, MSU-NORTHERN 69
MSU-NORTHERN (69) Famber 4-8 6-8 14, Larson 0-2 0-0 0,
Stacy 3-12 3-4 12, Stubblefield 4-9 1-2 10, Renee 0-1 0-0 0,
Moultrie 3-6 2-4 9, Sawyer 2-5 3-8 7, Carothers 1-5 4-7 7,
Hays 4-7 2-3 10. Totals 21-55 21-38 69.
MONTANA TECH (78) McCloud 3-8 4-4 13, Wooley 3-5 3-4 12,
Meredith 0-3 0-0 0, Allen 5-11 0-1 12, Reed 2-3 2-2 6,
Wesselschmidt 2-8 2-3 6, Murphy 8-11 5-9 21, Tholen 1-1 1-2
3, Rudolph 1-6 3-5 5. Totals 25-56 22-33 78.
MSU-Northern
30
39
69
