Billings, Mont. – Dickinson State got 12 points and 8 rebounds form Kayden Steele as they outscored Montana Western 33-25 in the second half, but a 17-point halftime deficit was too much to overcome as the Blue Hawks fell, 66-57, to kick off the Green and Gold Hampton Inn Classic at Lockwood High School.

Montana Western raced out to an 11-0 lead over the first two and a half minutes of the contest before a three-pointer from Kyrie Alldredge finally got DSU on the board. Back-to-back threes by the Bulldogs ballooned the lead some more to 17-3 to put UMW firmly in control.

Dickinson State trailed by as many as 27 in the first half before heading to the break down 17, 41-24, after a 10-0 run to end the half. The run continued into the second half, as DSU got to within 10 at the end of the third quarter thanks to a 21-14 advantage in the period, making it a 31-14 Blue Hawk run.

However, the Blue Hawks couldn't complete the wild comeback, as both teams struggled offensively in the final ten minutes, scoring just 23 points combined as the Bulldogs held on for the nine-point victory.

Alldredge and Katherine Fox joined Steele in double figures, scoring 11 and 10 points, respectively, but the Blue Hawks shot just 25 percent from long range in their first game since December 16, and their first non-exhibition since December 2.