BEMIDJI, Minn. -- The Wayne State College women's basketball team went on a 13-4 run early in the second half to go up by eight, putting the game out of reach for Bemidji State University. The Wildcats would go on to grab their league-leading fifth win of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference season, 80-74, Saturday night at the BSU Gymnasium. Despite cutting the WSC advantage to a basket three times in the second half, the early Wildcat run put the game out of reach for the Beavers.

BSU's Nancy McConkey (Jr., F, Superior, Wis.) led all players with 22 points in the loss. She was 10-of-12 from the floor and 2-of-3 from the line while grabbing five rebounds. Stephanie Peterson (So., C, Bismarck, N.D.) added 16 while pulling down a game-high seven rebounds. Maggie Gernbacher (Jr., G, Bloomington, Minn.) and Amy Lawson also netted double-figure scoring totals recording 12 and 10 points respectively. Lawson, the league's assists leader paced all players Saturday dishing out eight.

Lauren Gustafson led the Wildcats scoring 20 points hitting three clutch three-point baskets. Kristin Humphries added 17 while corralling a team-best seven rebounds in the win.

Humphries got Wayne State on the board first hitting a jumper just 57 seconds into the game. The Wildcats increased their lead to as many as 11 points (22-11) just seven minutes in and would not relinquish their lead during the first 13:25 despite a charging BSU team using a 17-6 run begin midway through the half to tie the game with 7:02 minutes to play.

The teams would trade baskets for the next four possessions, but when Peterson made good on a lay up with 4:35 to go in the half, it broke a 34-34 tie and gave BSU its first lead of the contest.

BSU and WSC matched basket for basket for the remainder of the half, but an Erin McCormick 15-foot jumper as the final second of the first half came off the clock, put the Wildcats up two at halftime 46-44.

McConkey quickly pushed BSU back in front (47-46) 21 seconds into the second stanza as Heidi Matzke (Fr., G, Red Lake Falls, Minn.) found the junior forward for an open jumper. McConkey was also fouled on the play making the free-throw to convert the old fashion three-point play. But Wayne State would counter with a McCormick jumper to regain the lead.

During the next 4:55, WSC would out score BSU 13-4 to go up by eight (59-51) and put the game virtually out of reach for the Beavers.

BSU would reel the Wildcats to within two points twice in the final seven minutes of play but could never get over the hump as WSC's Gustafson consistently hit big shots to keep BSU down.

The Wildcats would go on to take the game 80-74 hitting 5-of-6 free-throw attempts in the game's final minute to garner the win and move to 15-2 overall and stay atop the NSIC standings at 6-0 in league play.

BSU falls to 8-10 on the season and settles into a tie with Minnesota-Crookston for fifth in the NSIC standings with a league record of 2-4. The Beavers will be back in action Saturday (Jan. 28) when they host their fifth place counterpart UMC in a battle for at least sole possession of fifth place. The game is set for a 6 p.m. tip-off at the BSU Gymnasium.