BUTTE, Mont. – Dickinson State trailed by just one at the half but could not overcome a strong second-half surge by No. 20 Montana Tech in a 67-48 road loss Friday night in Frontier Conference action at Valley Bank Arena.

The Blue Hawks (7-16, 5-12 Frontier) shot 46.4% from the field in the first half and took a 28-27 lead with just over three minutes to play before the break, but the 20th ranked Orediggers (17-6, 11-6) responded with a 38-point second half and held DSU to 20 points over the final 20 minutes.

Isaiah Vargas led Dickinson State with 16 points off the bench on 6-of-13 shooting, including two of the team's three 3-pointers. Cordell Stinson added 12 points, while Detavius Frierson chipped in six points and a team-high five rebounds.

The Blue Hawks were hampered by cold shooting in the second half, connecting on just 25% (8-of-32) from the field and 11.1% (1-of-9) from three-point range. Dickinson State finished 3-of-16 from beyond the arc and 3-of-10 at the free-throw line for the game.

Montana Tech took control early in the second half, using a 14-4 run capped by a Karson Peffer three-pointer and two technical free throws to go up 41-32. The Orediggers hit 5-of-6 threes in the second half and were a near-perfect 22-of-23 at the free-throw line overall, outscoring the Blue Hawks by 19 in the second half.

Hayden Diekhans and Peffer paced Montana Tech with 12 points apiece. The Orediggers dominated the glass with a 42-24 rebounding advantage and had five players score at least nine points.

Despite the loss, DSU forced 17 turnovers and converted them into 17 points. The Blue Hawks also scored 32 of their 48 points in the paint and held Montana Tech to just two fast-break points.

Vargas accounted for 12 of the Blue Hawks' 21 bench points, and Weston Zacher added four rebounds and a block. Quincy Linton contributed five points and a team-best two assists.