KBZK

Posted: Feb 9, 2010 12:46 AM
Updated: Mar 16, 2010 9:39 AM

The Montana Tech men have something to celebrate after a weekend that saw them pick up their first Frontier Conference wins of the season. However, Kellen Hasquet, who transferred to Tech from Carroll College, has a little more to celebrate.

The 6-foot-7 forward has been named the Frontier Conference Player of the Week. Hasquet averaged 20.5 points and 5 rebounds per game over the weekend as Montana Tech rolled the Rocky Mountain Bears 72-62 Friday and the rival Saints 74-67 Saturday. The junior, who hit 4 of 9 3 point balls Saturday, converted 44 percent of his field goals for points and nailed 48 percent of his three-pointers as well as 79 percent of his free throws. Hasquet transferred from Carroll College 2 seasons ago to ultimately end up with the Orediggers at the beginning of this season. Coach Nate Larson says he couldn't be happier to have the newcomer.

"He's a special young man. Very bright, bright kid. A great kid off the floor in terms of being a leader. He deserved this night and this weekend and he is a great leader for us and we're very happy to have him."

Hasquet had 4 of his team's 14 3-pointers on the night, while Carroll was held to just 5. Tech also won the turnover battle 19-15. The win was not only emotional for the Tech men because it proved Friday night's win was no fluke, or even because Hasquet was playing against is former team. It was also because a team with a 1-7 conference record did what no other Digger basketball team had done for the last decade.

"I know this win over Carroll is the first time in about 11 years that we've beaten Carroll. It's a special win. Special weekend for the guys," Larson said with a smile. "It just goes to show that this team is capable of playing championship basketball when we're firing on all cylinders."

But even in the heat of the moment, the head coach offered a sobering statement that brought his feet back to the ground: "We're still 2 and 7. We've got a lot of work to do, because that first half of the conference season was not Oredigger basketball. Not at all."

From the outside looking in, most would be tempted to call it a surprising weekend for the Diggers. But the players and coaches would never concede to the term. Even though it is the first time since the Frontier Conference expanded to eight teams that Tech had swept Carroll and Rocky on the same weekend. Even though a realistic shot at a regular season title had long since vanished. Larson says, even through it all, he knew his team was capable of this weekend's success.

"It was very, very disappointing to go through January working our tails off and not getting any success," admitted the coach. "But if we continue to play the way we are, we're going to make a nice run here in this second go-round."

Montana Tech visits Lewis-Clark State on Thirsday and conference-leading Westminster on Saturday.

Also nominated for the Frontier Conference Player of the Week Award was Montana Western's Terry Hauser, whose hot shooting helped the Bulldogs take down Carroll easily, 86-56, followed by Rocky in double overtime, 91-88. Western (7-2, 19-6) is a game out of first place behind Westminster (8-1, 18-5) which is the only other team in the Frontier Conference to play in a double overtime game this season. The Griffins lost that contest with Fresno Pacific in December.

With the Frontier Conference Tournament being hosted by the highest seed, Montana Western will look to tie the Griffins with a win at their place on Thursday. The Bulldogs won the first meeting between the two, 82-76 in Dillon. Lewis-Clark State will await on Saturday.