BEMIDJI, Minn. -- A pair of Amy Lawson (So., G, Spencer, Iowa) free-throws with just seconds to play in overtime earned the Bemidji State University women's basketball team an 89-87 victory over Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rival Southwest Minnesota State University Friday night at the BSU Gymnasium. With its second league win of 2005-06, BSU surpasses its NSIC win total of a year ago.

In a game in which the Mustangs hit 14 threes and shot 48.5 percent from the field, BSU's stingy defense forced 21 turnovers and the Beavers held a 52-37 advantage on the glass earn the victory.

"I really have to give credit to Southwest," stated BSU head coach Mike Curfman. "They shot the ball extremely well from three-point range. But I thought we did a good job of withstanding their runs, holding our composure and finding a way to get a win against a team that was playing really well tonight."

After battling back from an early five-point (13-8) deficit, the Beavers rattled off five consecutive points to take their first lead of the game (15-13) with 13:58 to go in the first half. But a quick jumper by Kelly Crimi knotted the game for the four time (15-15) just seconds later.

BSU scored 19 of the next 24 points hitting 9-of-12 shots to build a 14-point lead (34-20) with 7:15 to go in the half.

The Mustangs would mount a small run before the half was over, but BSU cruised into the locker rooms with a 45-36 advantage at the break.

After a quick lay-up by Maggie Gernbacher (Jr., G, Bloomington, Minn.) put BSU up by 11 in the opening seconds of the second half, SMSU countered with a 6-0 run to reel the Beavers to within five (47-42). But a trio of Gernbacher three-pointers on consecutive possessions increased the BSU cushion to 14 just four minutes into the second stanza.

The Beavers would hold off two more SMSU runs in the first 10 minutes of the half, but a 19-5 run by the Mustangs with less than six minutes to go in regulation tied the game at 77-7. The Mustangs knotted the game on none other than a Crimi triple with just under three minutes to go, her school-record seventh of the night.

The teams would trade points during the final 120 seconds, but down one (82-81) with six seconds to go, Nancy McConkey (Jr, F, Superior, Wis.) knocked down the back end of a two-shot foul to tie the game.

SMSU would get a chance for the win, but the Kasey Loeslie shot from the corner would bounce of the rim sending BSU into its third overtime contest of the season.

Overtime was also tightly played. Four times in the overtime period the score was tied including 87-87 after a Megan Wittkop used a lay-up to equal the hosting Beavers with less than 30 seconds to play.

In the driver's seat, Lawson and the Beavers held the ball for the last shot. With 10 seconds to play, the BSU point guard drove the right side of the lane for a lay-up and was fouled in the act of shooting, putting her on the line with one second to play.

With the game on the line the gritty guard dropped two free-throws to ice the game for the Beavers, 89-87.

Gernbacher led five BSU players in double figures with 20 points on 7-of-11 and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. McConkey added 15 while Lawson and Stephanie Peterson (So., C, Bismarck, N.D.) each grabbed a team-high seven rebounds while netting 11 and 13 points respectively. Karlee Simonson (So., F, Rockford, Minn.) rounded out the top scorers for BSU with 10.

Crimi recorded a career-high 27 points on 10-of-17 from the floor and 7-of-14 from three-point land to lead the Mustangs. Wittkop added 20, hitting six threes and Loeslie dumped in 17.

As if adding a tight overtime conference win on its home court was not enough, BSU defeated a SMSU team lead by head coach Mike Power, who spent the previous three seasons at BSU and recruited all but four of BSU current players.

I though Nancy McConkey, Karlee Simonson and Stephanie Peterson hits some key shots tonight, said Curfman. "One of the keys to this game was that we had 22 offensive rebounds.' He added, "You have to control the paint and we did a nice job of that."

"I thought it was great college basketball game with great execution on both teams' part. To pull out a win like that on your home court in front of your home crowd...hopefully it gets them excited and gives us some confidence going into tomorrow against Wayne who will come in here at 5-0 in NSIC play."

The Beavers continue NSIC play at home tomorrow when the team hosts Wayne State College who after a 79-71 win over Minnesota-Crookston Friday, sits atop the NSIC standings at 5-0. The game is set for a 6 p.m. tip-off.