VALLEY CITY, N.D. – For the second night in a row, Valley City State faced a top 25 team. After a three-point loss to #24 Montana Western on Friday night, the Vikings dropped a 73-61 decision to #6 Montana Tech on Saturday night in Frontier Conference action at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.

Valley City State is now 4-3 overall and 0-3 in the Frontier Conference. Montana Tech is 8-0 overall and 2-0 in the conference.

The Orediggers got off to a great start, jumping out to a seven-point lead in the first two-and-a-half minutes of the game. A basket by Karson Peffer gave the Diggers a 7-0 lead. Valley City State would then go on a 16-6 run to take a three-point lead. A three-pointer by Jaelyn Johnson put the Vikings up 16-13 a little over six minutes into the first half. Montana Tech would go on an eight-point run to regain the lead four minutes later. Josh Coulanges knocked down a three-pointer to give the Diggers a 21-16 lead with 9:53 to go in the first half.

The Vikings would tie the game just over minute later when Taylor Bryant-Frey hit a three-pointer to make the score 23-23 with 8:32 to go in the half. The Vikings would go cold from the field and Montana Tech took advantage with an 11-0 run. Connor Michaud's field goal would cap the run and make it 34-23 with 4:55 to go in the half. The VCSU offense went 6:30 without a field goal, but the defense was playing well to keep the Vikings in the game. A three-pointer by Bryant-Frey made the score 36-28 Montana Tech with 2:30 remaining in the half. The Orediggers would score the last four points of the half to lead 40-28 at halftime.

The Vikings shooting picked up early in the second half hitting on six of ten field goals in the first seven minutes of the half. The Diggers lead stayed between eight and twelve points through most of the second half. They take a 14-point when Asher Williams hit back-to-back buckets a minute apart to make the score 57-41. The Vikings would go on a 6-0 run to cut the lead down to 57-47 with 8:49 remaining in the half.

The Vikings got the lead down to seven on a three-pointer by Joel Nelson to make the score 65-58 with 4:33 to go. But that would be as close as the Vikings would get the rest of the way as the Diggers picked to the twelve-point win.

The Vikings were led by Joel Nelson with twelve points and two steals. Kaleb Larson had ten points. Alex Lester had nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Taylor Bryant-Frey had nine points, JR Cison had eight points, while Logan Deal added six points and ten rebounds. Jaelyn Johnson had five points and Nez Chehade had two for the Vikings.

UP NEXT: The Vikings step out of conference play on Tuesday when they host the Lions of Trinity Bible College. Tipoff for the me will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Bubble.