By Bruce Sayler
The mix-and-match possibilities might be what cause Adam Hiatt to smile the most about this year’s edition of the Montana Tech men’s basketball team.
He explained in the hallway outside the Montana Tech HPER Complex Friday evening that this year’s roster should allow the coaching staff to floor an interchangeable lineup, depending on the opposition.
“We have a really good roster,” Hiatt said after a 90-73 nonconference victory over Northwest University of Kirkland, Washington, in a game that never felt close, not even when the Eagles clawed back to, well, within 20 points late. “We have depth and versatility. We have some players who are good against good opponents and some who are better against certain opponents. That’ll be why the public will see different looks (from the Orediggers) through the year.”
It is also why Montana Tech is 6-0 on the season to date and ranked No. 6 in the NAIA national poll with the Frontier Conference schedule looming. The Orediggers have won the last four league championships.
Hiatt said the team’s response has been outstanding. Northwest just came off am 81-75 loss to Rocky Mountain in a 1-2 start to the year and Hiatt and his staff viewed video from the Eagles’ games with Rocky Mountain and with Park (an 80-68 win). Northwest has exhibition losses to NCAA power Gonzaga (111-62) and Big Sky Conference member Idaho State (98-54).
“They area good team,” Hiatt said about the Eagles. “We were able to come out in the first half and then impose our will.”
The Orediggers started very fast. They missed once in their first 10 shots and opened a 10-point spread, 15-5, after Hayden Diekans jammed a pass from Camdyn LaRance through the hoop with fewer than five minutes gone off the game clock.
The pace increased and torrid shooting continued, 77 percent from the field for the first half. The difference was 29-5 just past midway of the half and Hiatt had already cleared his bench. Fourteen Montana Tech players checked in at some juncture or another of the game. LaRance, Diekhans and Asher Williams were early stars in the getaway start, opening creases for Braydon Koch, who responded with a team-high 19-point performance.
The halftime gap was 55-30.
If the Orediggers had a problem, it may have been concentration after the intermission, relaxing with the big lead and trying to adjust to the myriad combinations Hiatt used all the while lesser experienced players tried to blend into the system.
Every shot Montana Tech looked like it had a chance to fall through the net, whether it be the clean 10-foot jumper or some acrobatic fling falling away from a tight double-team or a flip while being fouled and going for the and-one, or a 50-foot last-second buzzer shot. None looked desperate.
Arm angles, body angles, positions from footwork all seemed to give each attempt a more than legitimate chance.
The team concept certainly ruled, but Hiatt allowed for room for some one-on-one freelance upon occasion where the likes of LaRance, Koch and Josh Coulanges outmanned his defender to the hole. It was hard work. It pleased the crowd.
The only disappointment might have been in that fewer than 700 seats were filled in the gym. This team, though, will likely have it loud and packed in a couple of weeks in the heat of season play.
“It’s a really good schedule, so far,” Hiatt said about the obstacles the campaign has put in front of the Orediggers to date. “We need to get better, defensively. We don’t have an identity, defensively, yet.”
He said the lack is that in while Montana Tech has been good at following the plan for defense each game night, the adjustment in the heat of play hasn’t shown yet. The instinct is yet under-cultivated, but showing signs of blooming.”
The individuals might need to be together more and grow as a social, machinery type of unit to know each in whatever situation or predicament.
“The success of this team depends on leadership outside the locker room,” Hiatt observed.
Diekhans finished Friday’s game with 15 points, and LaRance tallied 11 and Connor Michaud 10.
“We have a lot of new faces this year,” Hiatt agreed. “But, they’re not new to us. They’ve been with us in the program (as recruits, reserves and redshirts), but they’re new to the public.”
Logan Stempniak collected 16 points and six rebounds to pace Northwest.
(A full boxscore from the game is available on Montana Tech’s godiggers.com Web site).
The Orediggers will launch Frontier Conference play next weekend with road games at Mayville State on Friday and Valley City State on Saturday.
