DULUTH, Minn. (Romano Gymnasium) -- With
just 10 seconds remaining in overtime and down by two points,
72-70, University of Minnesota Duluth senior forward Katie
Winklemann dropped in a three from the top of the key to down
Bemidji State University, 73-72, in the opening round of the
2006 American Family Insurance Classic at Romano Gymnasium
in Duluth, Minn.
The Beavers were led by junior center Stephanie
Peterson (Bismarck, N.D.) who matched a season-best
20 points while grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds for her first
double-double of the season.
UMD's Katie Freeman equaled Peterson's 20
points to share top scoring honors while Justine Axtel added
13 and hauled in a team-best eight boards.
The Beavers found themselves in a dog fight with UMD trading
baskets and the lead throughout the the first half and would
go into the halftime break trailing the hosting Bulldogs 42-39.
Bemidji State looked up at the Bulldogs for
the first 15 minutes of the second half, but a lay-up by Peterson
with 4:11 on the clock would give the Beavers their first
lead of the final stanza, 61-60.
The Bulldogs used a four-point surge late
in the half to grab a 65-61, but BSU would answer scoring
four straight capped by a Peterson jumper in the paint to
knot the score at 65-65 with 10 ticks on the clock to force
an extra five minutes.
The overtime period as tightly contested
as every minute of regulation.
With the scored tied at 69-69--the seventh
tie of the game--BSU's Karlee Simonson (Jr.,
F, Rockford, Minn.) knocked down a three-pointer to put BSU
up 72-70 with 2:11 left in overtime.
BSU would hold that lead and stifle the Bulldogs
shooters until the stingy UMD defense corralled an errant
Beaver shot and siphoned an offensive rebound to Winklemann
at the top of the key for an open trey.
Despite a chance at the win, the Beavers
would come up short, 73-72.
The Beavers (0-3) are back in action tomorrow
when they take to the court versus St. Cloud State University,
who were ranked No. 4 team in all of Division II in the WBCA
preseason poll, in both teams' final American Family Classic
match-up. Opening tip is slated for 1:00 p.m. at the Romano
GYmnasium on the Minnesota Duluth campus.
--bsu--
