BEMIDJI, Minn. -- Sophomore center Stephanie Peterson (Bismarck, N.D.) netted a career-best 20 points on 10-of-11 from the field as the Bemidji State University women's basketball team defeated Winona State University Saturday afternoon at the BSU Gymnasium. The win marked the Beavers' tenth of the season at home earning double-digit home victory total for the first time since the 1991-92 season.

Four BSU players scored ten or more points in the game. In addition to Peterson's game-high 20, Heidi Matzke (Fr., G, Red Lake Falls, Minn.) added 11 while the duet of Katherine Bremmer (Jr., Granite Falls, Minn.) and Karlee Simonson (So., Rockford, Minn.) netted 10 points apiece.

Peterson also led all players with eight rebounds as the Beavers gained a 30-22 edge on the glass.

Amy Lawson (So., PG, Spencer, Iowa) dished out a game-best six assists while piling up five of BSU's 11 steals.

Liz Buttke paced the Warrior offense with 17 points. Leslie Ross added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds while Jamie Majerowicz and Shelby Krueger each added 11 points.

In a first have that saw six lead changes and seven ties, Winona State drew first blood as Buttke hit her first of a trio of three-point field goals just 18 seconds into the game.

During the first six minutes of play the teams would battle for the lead and with 13:26 remaining in the first half, WSU looked to take the first significant advantage rattling off nine consecutive points garnering a 21-14 lead over the Beavers with 10:49 left in the half. But the Beavers would counter with a run of their own knotting the score a 21-21 after seven consecutive points.

WSU would hold the advantage on the score board for a large majority of the remainder of the half, but a rebound and put back in the first half's final seconds by Jenny Wenlund (So., C, Elk River, Minn.) put BSU on top 42-41 before the break.

As the second half got underway, WSU's Molly Anderson gave the Warriors ia 43-42 lead as she made good on a pair of free-throws, but the lead would be short-lived. Maggie Gernbacher (Jr., G, Bloomington, Minn.) would find Peterson in the paint for a layup giving BSU a 44-43 edge and the Beavers would never trail again.

With the score tied 46-46 at the 16:20 mark, the Beavers would begin to make their move. During the next 6:12, BSU outscored the Warriors 13-2 earning extra chances as the team turned up its defensive pressure. During the span BSU forced three WSU turnovers while holding the visitors to 1-for-8 from the floor.

Bemidji State would extend its lead to 12 points (70-58) with 4:49 to go, but its offense hit a dry spell with 3:22 to go missing both of its field goal attempts during the next 3:20 and turning the ball over four times. Meanwhile, Winona State erased the 12-point deficit to tie the game at 72-72. But with just two seconds remaining Lawson, who has a knack for scoring big baskets when BSU most needs them, made a layup with two seconds on the clock to put BSU up 74-72.

WSU's last-second half court shot came up short.

In the game, BSU dominated the paint. In addition to its lead on the glass, BSU outscored the Warriors 44 to 22 in the paint while shooting a season-high 58.5 percent (31-53) from the floor.

The win evened BSU overall record to 13-13 finding the .500 mark for the first time since the team was 7-7 ironically after the last meeting with WSU Jan. 7. It was also the Beavers 10th win at the BSU Gymnasium this season marking the first time BSU has earned 10-or-more wins at home since it went 10-1 during the 1991-92 season.

BSU also improves to 6-7 in NSIC play and still clings to the possibility of hosting a post-season game in the first round off the 2006 NSIC/Red Baron Classic. The Beavers currently sit in fifth place in the league standings just one game behind MSU-Moorhead. With a win over Concordia University St. Paul tomorrow, BSU would slide into a tie for fourth place with MSUM and would hold the tie-breaker of the Dragons. Since the teams would each possess a 7-7 NSIC record and split their season series, the next tie-breaker would be record versus league opponents in descending order. Since both teams were swept by No. 1 Wayne State and BSU split with No. 2 Northern State while MSUM was 0-2, the Beavers would control the No. 4 seed in the tournament and would host the Dragons Wed. (Mar. 1) at 6 p.m. Al loss to CSP Sunday would mean BSU would travel to Moorhead, Minn. to battle MSUM in the first round.

The Beavers are back in action tomorrow as they host Concordia-St. Paul (17-9; 8-5 NSIC) in the regular-season finale. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. in the BSU Gymnasium.