Senior Night for Montana Tech Basketball
I love Senior Day.
I think I have always had a good respect for the day, but really started to understand the day more and more, the more time I spent with Ron Hasquet and John Thatcher. I think most people realize that coaches and their players are together all the time, but I’m not sure most people realize just how deep that coach/player bond truly goes. We think of coaches in an X’s and O’s capacity, but not as much when it comes to the unseen ‘stuff’. Grades, boyfriend/girlfriend issues, car troubles, family troubles, and life issues.
Coaches are there 24/7/365, for one, two, and up to five years of a young person’s life. In most cases, Coaches are spending far more time with ‘your’ kid than their own, so Senior day is an emotional day for everyone involved.
Players enter a program as recruits and leave as family.
Tech will have 4 family members playing their last game in the HPER tonight.
For the women, Dani Urick, Madison Allen, and Tavia Rooney will be honored.
Dani Urick is one of the most consistent, unflappable players I have ever seen. In her 5 seasons at Montana Tech (bonus year due to Covid), she has played in 128 of the 130 games. She has missed 2 games in 5 years. That’s just the start of her consistency.
In her 5 seasons, she has averaged 10 points a game from her freshman year to this year, AND she has averaged 32 minutes of playing time per game every single year.
She was the 21st member of the 1,000-point club for Montana Tech as well, and currently has 1,206 points lifetime. (#14 all-time)
Madison Allen transferred to Montana Tech from Mount Hood Community College in the fall of 2019. Her impact running the point was felt immediately. She has a tremendous skill set, with great vision and decision-making abilities. When she is on the floor running the offense, she has a way of calming her teammates, and that talent alone will be greatly missed by the Diggs. Entering today she has 238 points and 99 assists lifetime. I am also extremely grateful to Madison because I believe she is in charge of babysitting John Thatcher most days, and better her than me.
Tavia Rooney will finish her career at Montana Tech as one of the most dominant players in school history. The numbers she has racked up in (basically) 3 years are incredible. (She only played 8 games during the pandemic-shortened year due to injury) She was the 22nd Oredigger to go into the 1,000-point club a few weeks ago, she is #6 on the all-time list of made field goals with 390. She is #7 on the all-time field goal % at 43%. She is #2 all-time in rebounding with 830 total (behind only the great Deann Johnson with 918). She is #2 in steals, but only 5 behind all-time leader Hattie Thatcher. She has 112 blocked shots, good for #2 all-time behind Kelsey Dewitt at 139. I could truly go on, her career has been that good.
Go ahead and get her Hall of Fame plaque ready.
The men’s team doesn’t have any Seniors (eligibility-wise) but does have one academically, and that is Bridger Larson.
Bridger will be honored tonight for Senior Night, as he will graduate at the end of the Semester. Bridger was a constant presence in the block for the Diggs. The thing that will always come to mind for me is the Covid year. Bridger is a freshman behind Taylor England, Taylor goes down to injury and that leaves Bridger, period. I thought he was fantastic that year and has been since. He is an incredible team player and never takes a play off. Bluntly, Bridger Larson won Montana Tech games that critical freshman year and has since.
All four Seniors will be honored tonight between the games.
The women will tip-off at 5 pm, you can read a preview HERE.
The men will then go at 7 pm, and you can see a preview for that game HERE.
AND remember to bring non-perishable food items, or toiletries for the Montana Tech Food Pantry, when you do, your name will go on a drawing for a gift basket from Headframe Spirits, and a gift card as well. You can read about Can The Saints HERE.