Senior forward Brynley Fitzgerald had 26 points and Montana-Western used a 15-4 mid first-half run to propel the Bulldogs to a 71-47 Frontier Conference victory over the Montana Tech Orediggers Thursday night at Kelvin Sampson Court.

Tech's Soda Rice defending UMW's Payton Hagy. Photo: Tommy O/Townsquare Media
Tech's Soda Rice defending UMW's Payton Hagy. Photo: Tommy O/Townsquare Media
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After a Tavia Rooney jump shot tied the game at 6 apiece with 4:50 to go in the first, the Montana-Western run began with an open layup by freshman forward Emily Cooley followed by a three pointer by sophomore guard Payton Hagy.  Jordan Sweeney would put the Bulldogs up 6 before Momberg wold get a three pointer of her own to close the quarter.  Brynley Fitzgerald got in on the hot shooting with a three pointer to open the second and giving Montana-Western a 10-point lead.  Fitzgerald added 7 rebounds and 4 assists and was joined in double-figures in the scoring column by freshman forward Emily Cooley who collected 10.  Fitzgerald did a majority of her damage in the second quarter scoring 10 as Montana-Western outscored the Orediggers 22-8 and took a commanding 38-17 lead into the locker room.  The Bulldogs would lead by as many as 28 in the third quarter.

Montana Tech had two players in double-digits as freshman forward Aubree Rademacher would score 11 and junior forward Tavia Rooney would add 10.  Senior guard Madison Allen, freshman guard Liv Wangerin and freshman forward Challis Westwater would score 5 apiece in the loss which drops the Diggers to 7-14 overall and 3-8 in the Frontier Conference.  Montana-Western improves to an impressive 21-3 on the year including a 9-2 mark in the Frontier.  Montana Tech will host Rocky Mountain College at 2pm on Saturday and close out their home schedule against the Carroll College Fightin' Saints on Thursday.

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