BEMIDJI, Minn. - The Bemidji State University women’s basketball team suffered their first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference loss on Saturday night to the visiting Minnesota State University, Moorhead Dragons. MSUM built a seven-point lead with 4:30 remaining and held on for an 83-78 win.
Despite a career-high 23 points and 11 rebounds from center Stephanie Peterson (Jr., Bismarck, N.D.), the big difference in the game came in the paint. The Dragons posted 32 points in the three-second area to just 22 for BSU. The double-double was the sixth in a row for Peterson, who leads the conference in rebounding.
Point guard Amy Lawson (Spencer, Iowa) added 13 points and nine assists. Karlee Simonson (Jr., F, Rockford, Minn.) and Heidi Matzke (So., G, Red Lake Falls, Minn.) each notched double figures for the second straight night as well with 16 and 14 points, respectively.
MSUM was led in scoring by Katie Walden, who seemed to knock down every open shot she took. Walden was 5-of-7 from three-land and 10-of-12 overall. Chris Falzon chipped in 13 points off the bench for the Dragons. MSUM shot a staggering 9-of-15 (.600) from behind the arc and 31-55 (.564) from the field.
Bemidji State jumped out to a big advantage at the outset, 29-17, but a 16-4 MSUM run knotted the game and set the battle for the evening.
The last 3:37 of the first half featured six lead changes, but BSU held a 40-39 first-half advantage on freshman Kelly Landsverk’s (G, Fosston, Minn.) buzzer-beater at the end of the frame. Landsverk pulled down a rebound on the defensive end with 18 seconds remaining. Lawson raced the ball upcourt to Matzke, who found Landsverk all alone for a baseline umper.
The teams traded leads for the first six minutes of the second half, until MSUM took the lead for good with 13:48 remaining on a layup by Meghan Rettke.
The Dragons built a seven-point lead with 4:30 remaining, but three-pointers by Simonson and Matzke cut the lead to 81-78 with 45 seconds to play. From that point, MSUM iced the game with two free throws, while BSU’s desperation three-point shot fell short.
The loss leaves BSU with a 4-4 mark on the season and 3-1 in the NSIC. MSU Moorhead’s record improved to 6-3 overall and 2-1 in league play.
Notes: BSU had four players score double figures for the second night in a row and fifth time in eight games this season... MSUM’s bench outscored BSU’s 28-9... Bemidji State had a season-low 10 turnovers in the game... BSU was 30-of-68 (.441) from the field and 10-for-25 (.400) from the three-point line... The Beavers also had 11 offensive rebounds in the game for 10 second chance points while MSUM had four for four points.
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