Badovinac leads Tech to Frontier women’s crown

BUTTE — Brooke Badovinac scored 21 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer, and the Montana Tech Orediggers rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Dakota State 76-72 for the Frontier Conference women’s basketball championship Monday. 

Liv Wangerin added 16 points and Halle Haber 15 for the Orediggers (25-4), who trailed 61-58 going to the final frame and 72-68 when Dakota State’s Tabor Teel hit a free throw with 3:22 left in the game. The Trojans wouldn’t score again. 

Hadley Humpherys hit two free throws to begin Tech’s closing 8-0 surge. Badovinac’s second three of the game — Tech hit just three, in 10 attempts — put her team up 73-72 with 11 seconds left. The Butte Central product also snared 10 rebounds. 

Ella Carstensen missed a three on Dakota State’s next possession, leading to a Humphrey’s free throw with 4 seconds left. Badovinac hit two more throws to ice Tech’s first Frontier title since 1983; that was the Orediggers’ last appearance in the Frontier final. 

Cierra Watkins scored 22 points, hitting 3 of 4 from the arc, to lead Dakota State (26-5). Bria Wasmund added 15 points and Teel 11. Aside from Watkins the team shot just 16 of 54 (30 percent) from the field and 6 of 34 from 3-point range. 

Both teams have qualified for the NAIA Tournament; pairings will be announced Thursday, and the tournament runs begins at 16 host locations before moving to Sioux City, Iowa, March 19-24.