DILLON, Mont. – Dickinson State battled into overtime on the road but came up short Saturday night, falling 87-74 to Montana Western in Frontier Conference play.
The Blue Hawks (7-17, 5-13 Frontier) led by as many as three points in the second half and were tied 68-68 at the end of regulation before the Bulldogs outscored DSU 19-6 in the extra period to secure the win.
Junior guard Quincy Linton led Dickinson State with 21 points, going 7-for-8 from the field and 7-of-8 at the free throw line. He added two rebounds and a steal in 33 minutes before fouling out in overtime.
Junior guard Isaiah Vargas came off the bench to score 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting and added five rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes. Sophomore Griffyn Doughty added 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds while logging 40 minutes. Senior forward Cordell Stinson pulled down eight rebounds and scored eight points.
Montana Western (16-8, 11-7 Frontier) was led by Emanuel Steward's 24 points and six assists. Quincy Taylor added 19 points, including nine in overtime, and the Bulldogs took advantage of 15 DSU turnovers, converting them into 15 points.
The game featured 10 ties and nine lead changes. Montana Western shot 43.5 percent from the field and made 25 of 34 free throws, including 11-of-12 in the extra frame. Dickinson State finished at 45.3 percent overall and 75.0 percent from the line but struggled with perimeter shooting, going 5-of-20 (25 percent) from beyond the arc.
Despite outrebounding Montana Western 38-36, the Blue Hawks were outscored 39-20 in bench points and gave up eight second-chance points to just four of their own.
Dickinson State trailed 33-32 at halftime, but opened the second half with an aggressive push. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, with DSU taking a late lead on a pair of Linton free throws before the Bulldogs tied it again and forced overtime.
In the extra period, Montana Western hit back-to-back threes from Steward and Taylor to take control. The Blue Hawks committed six fouls and three turnovers in the five-minute period, scoring just one field goal.
