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Source: The Montana Standard, ButteJan.迷你倉 17--Now things will get really interesting.First, the Montana Tech men's basketball team got off the Frontier Conference deck last weekend with a pivotal two-game home sweep of 10th-ranked Rocky Mountain College (100-91) and a topsy-turvy 84-64 defeat of Dickinson State. The two wins were the first for the Orediggers' league slate. Yet, in the jam-packed league race, with six teams within first place at 3-2 or better, Tech is still only in seventh-place.That means this weekend's two-game home-stand against 15th-ranked Montana State-Northern (15-4, 3-2) and Lewis-Clark State (16-4, 4-2) on Friday and Saturday nights could bring more polish to the Tech reputation if the Orediggers can complete a second consecutive sweep. Both games will start at at 7:30 p.m., at the HPER Complex"We need to at least get both wins, but we need to play with the work ethic we have been giving and give a good showing," Tech guard Brandon Rydberg said. "Northern and L-C are both good teams so if we have some good showings then people would still respect us and not expect to walk over us."The chance to earn respect and push forward in the conference race benefitted from last weekend's performances, with the team winning in two disparate ways."I was happy with how we competed on Thursday against Rocky, coming out with energy and being able to execute offensively and knock down shots. Defensively, we executed better and we rebounded and we ran," Tech head coach Patrick O'Herron said. "Saturday we were able to get up and down the floor, and in the second half we were in a foul-fest with 51 free throws combined. There was just no rhythm of flow. They called it differently in the second half and there was more fatigue. Every possession was ugly, and 20 minutes becomes an hour."The win over Dickinson State showed that Tech can win pretty or ugly and avoid being dragged into lowering its own expectations."We continued to grind it out and we didn't get frustrated," O'Herron said. "We knew it was going to be slow down game and we did well in rebounding, which we knew we had to. In the last five minutes of the game, we got two easy layups and made it easier for us for a couple of possessions to save our legs."The way we fought through and the way our defense played and held a team to 64 points, we were happy with. That was a team that has put points on the board and a team that beat Great Falls and lost to Northern at the buzzer."The wins also kickstarted Tech's conference run after dropping their first three outings in various fashions."Big wins, we needed them, but we definitely have room for improvement," Rydberg said. "These wins were good to get our momentum and to protect our home court. We gave that one away at (Montana) Western (a double-overtime road loss the previous week) which we thought we could have stolen. So against Rocky that was a tough win and was so big for our confidence and shows we can hang with anyone in the conference. We are starting to figure out our identity as a team."It didn't hurt that the Orediggers came back home at a time that was probably needed to help right the ship."Playing at home was definitely a plus and it brought us energy," O'Herron said. "It's easier than getting on the bus, eating on the bus and going to a hotel. You can hang with your family and just enjoy being at home."We will need the effort we showed against Rocky for every conference game."The remaining home slate, and finding success there, will be the key to qualifying for the postseason Frontier Conference tournament."We have to protect home court and get a couple on the road to make the playoffs and that's what our mindset is," O'Herron said. "We have to protect our home court however we can."One big change toself storagethe Montana Tech roster was the inclusion of junior point guard Antonio Snow, a transfer from Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Wash."Things have changed with getting Antonio on the floor and the team is learning to play together," O'Herron said. "The more the units play with Antonio on the floor, hopefully the better we get on both ends of the floor."Snow offers a new dynamic or two to the Oredigger backcourt."He gives us something where he can get his own shot or an easy shot for his teammates any time he wants," O'Herron said. "Defensively he can defend point guards. There aren't going to be many point guards who get by him and he will be able to consistently keep his guys up front."That will be important against the next two invaders of the HPER, starting with the Lights of MSU-Northern."Their 3-point shooting is their strength and we have to get them off that line," O'Herron said. "We have to get them to pull up and shoot jump shots. They are a big team down low and have some physical kids. Their guards are great and drive and kick and can catch and shoot threes. "Hopefully we will be able to rotate and work out of that. I am hoping that if we can get our shots and work our offense, because they are going to pressure, if we work together as a unit we should get looks and we have to make those looks. We also have to hit the glass."Northern hopes to light it up behind the play of Alfie Miller (14.9 ppg), Corbin Pearson (9.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg), and Roshawn West (8.6 ppg).As for the Warriors on Saturday, the Orediggers aim to improve on their first outing, in which they got drilled, 105-60, on Dec. 7 in Lewistown, Idaho."They were more hungry and they came out fast, while we were pretty new with the stuff we were running," O'Herron said. "We also couldn't shoot well, we couldn't hit the ocean. We didn't have the energy to defend and it was just not a good game all the way around."So what should Tech expect in the rematch?"They are very deep and can go 10, 11 guys," O'Herron said. "They have done a very good job adding pieces. When they bring someone off the bench, they get better or don't lose anything. It's going to be an up and down game and it will be about who can hit shots and who can get stops. If we don't contest threes and are taking it out of the net all the time it's going to be a struggle."The Warriors are led by E.J. Farris (21.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg), Brady Bagby (13.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg), and Jacob Champoux (10.8 ppg).Tech counters both guests with the play of Adam Greger (19.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Bryan Bock (14.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 85 assists), Snow (12.3 ppg), Travis Peevey (11.3 ppg), and Rydberg (10.2 ppg)."What we have lacked in the past is a work ethic on the defensive end," Rydberg said. "We play even better D against Rocky than we showed."Offensively we also are showing some work ethic and our posts really stepped up. We are not the most talented team in the word, so it's about how hard you play and how hard you want it."School is back in session so Tech hopes to see bigger crowds at the HPER this weekend."I am hoping so with the kids back on campus that we get this place rocking and rolling," O'Herron said. "I hope to get it loud and energized for the guys. I hope they make it as loud as they want to."Loud and proud could engineer another big win or two and the momentum could only behoove the team even more."Early on this season when we had two big losses, teams looked past us," Rydberg said. "But after beating Rocky and handling Dickinson at home, we are now a team to look out and prepare for. I think we are gaining more respect in the conference."Copyright: ___ (c)2014 The Montana Standard (Butte, Mont.) 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