Dec. 11, 2005

BEMIDJI, Minn. -- [box score] The Bemidji State University women's basketball team turned in a dominating performance in the paint Sunday afternoon on its way to an 78-57 win over Minnesota State University at the BSU Gymnasium. The Beavers outscored the Mavericks 44-20 in the paint while pulling down a 37-32 advantage on the glass.

Five Bemidji State players netted double-digit point totals led by a 16-point effort from sophomore center Stephanie Peterson (Bismarck, N.D.). Nancy McConkey (Jr., F, Superior, Wis.) pitched in 15 and Maggie Gernbacher (Jr., G, Bloomington, Minn.) poured in 14, with 12 coming from behind the arc, while Heidi Matzke (Fr., g, Red Lake Falls, Minn.) and Amy Lawson (So., PG, Spencer, Iowa.) each recorded 12 points.

The BSU rebounding effort was headed by Peterson and sophomore Karlee Simonson (F, Rockford, Minn.) Peters hauled in her season average of eight while Simonson came just one board shy of her career-best with nine.

Lawson continues to be a spark plug for Bemidji State a she made things happen on both ends of the floor adding game highs of nine assists and seven steals to her 12 points.

Minnesota State was paced by point guard Stacy Johnson who was 4-of-6 from downtown totaling 15 points and a pair of assists while matching Arin Andrews for a team-high five rebounds.

After giving up a three just 15 seconds into the game, BSU bounced back to score seven consecutive points taking its first lead of the game (5-3) less than two minutes into the game as Gernbacher hit her first of four threes in the game--it was a lead BSU would not relinquish for the remainder of the contest.

By the midway point of the first half, BSU had run its lead to as many as 12 points (26-14), but would shoot just 1-for-13 during the final 9:30 of the opening half. BSU watched its lead dwindle to just three points (29-26) before the halftime horn sounded. MSU out scored the Beavers 12-3 during the run as Johnson hit a pair of clutch threes to help the Mavericks reel BSU within reach.

The Beavers came out of the halftime break to out score the Mavericks 12-4 in the opening four minutes of the second half widening its lead to 11 points (41-30) as the team hit four of its first eight shots and converted a pair of MSU turnovers into easy buckets.

Converting turnovers into points was something BSU did often Sunday forcing MSU into making 19 miscues while turning those into 25 points.

The Beavers also pushed the ball netting 18 fast break points while holding MSU scoreless on the break.

"The key to our transitional game is the play of our three primary post players," stated Head Coach Mike Curfman after the win. "If you look at the stats, Steph Peterson, Nancy McConkey and Karlee Simonson each had at least seven rebounds. Really the fast break starts with those three. Today they combined for 24 rebounds and when you do that you are going to outscore a team 18-0 in transition." He added, "The tribute goes to our defense and rebounding and Amy Lawson made some great decisions today and we finished the break."

The Mavericks would cut the lead to six points (52-46) with 6:55 to go in the game, but BSU bounced back to seal its longest winning streak since the 1996-96 season rattling off 14 of the next 16 points during the next 3:23 to go up by 20 (68-48).

The team would go on to win the game 78-57.

"Whenever you win four games in a row you are doing a good job of executing," said Curfman. "I think we are getting our transition game going, I think we are making good decision on both ends of the floor and we are finishing plays. That is what we weren't doing early on in the season."

"This up-tempo game is a fun brand of basketball to play when it works."

The win evens BSU's record to 4-4 on the season marking the first time the team has been .500 this late in the season since team was 8-8 midway through the 2003-04 campaign. The loss was MSU's third consecutive to an NSIC institution after dropping games to Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota-Crookston earlier this week. The Mavericks are now 5-5.

BSU continues its current seven-game homestand Sunday Dec. 18 when to welcomes No. 4 University of North Dakota and its 11-game winning streak. The game is slated for a 3 p.m. tip-off at the BSU gymnasium.