WHITEFISH, Mont. – The Montana Tech men’s basketball team reaped the rewards of a great season. The Frontier Conference announced the Men’s Basketball All-Conference Teams today. Adam Hiatt was named the Frontier Coach of the Year, Caleb Bellach was named the Player of the Year, and Asa Williams was named the Newcomer of the Year.

Bellach was selected first team all-conference and Williams was selected to the second team. Michael Ure was an honorable mention. Hayden Diekhans and Bridger Larson were selected for the Frontier’s All-Defensive Team.

Hiatt, coaching his seventh season for the Orediggers, led the team to one of the best records in school history finishing 12-3 in conference games and 24-4 during the regular season. The Orediggers won their second straight Frontier Conference Championship and Frontier Tournament. Tech hasn’t won back-to-back championships since the 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons and this is only the second time for the Orediggers in program history. Coach Hiatt led the Orediggers to nine consecutive wins tying the longest streak in school history. This award is Hiatt’s first Frontier Conference Coach of the Year honor.

Bellach, a junior from Manhattan, Montana, received his second first team all-conference award in his second season with the Orediggers. Bellach led the conference in scoring averaging 21.8 points a game wile shooting 50% from the field. He was second in the league in free throw percentage hitting 84.5% from the line. Bellach ranked seventh in the league in rebounds averaging 5.7. Bellach hit career highs in points (27) and rebounds (11) this year and was named the Frontier Conference Player of the Week three times.

Williams, a junior from Solon, Ohio, transferred to Tech from Chandler-Gilbert CC. In his first season with the Orediggers he was seventh in the league averaging 14.7 points a game while shooting 45.2% from the field. Williams was fourth in the league in three-point percentage knocking own 40.5% of his attempts. He also averaged 3.7 rebounds per game.

Ure, a sophomore forward from Idaho Falls, Idaho, had a breakout year averaging 11 points shooting 42.9% from the field and was also a deep threat hitting 35.8% from beyond the arc. Ure averaged 5.9 rebounds a game and had five double-doubles on the season.

Diekhans, a freshman from Fort Benton, Montana, also had a breakout season. Playing in just five games last season, Diekhans was in the starting lineup from the beginning of the season and was a force around the basket. Diekhans third in the league in rebounds (7.4) and first in defensive rebounds (5.7). He finished the year with 25 steals and 10 blocks.

Larson, a forward from Sydney, Montana, finished his career this season and making his first appearance on the all-defensive team. Larson led the team in blocks with 15 and ranked fifth in the league.