ST. CLOUD, Minn. (Hallenbeck Hall) -– The Bemidji State University men’s basketball team dropped its first game of the season to the St. Cloud State Huskies 86-61 in the 2007 American Family Hoopster Classic hosted by St. Cloud State.

The St. Cloud State Huskies forced 23 Bemidji State turnovers and outscored the Beavers 23-7 on points off turnovers and 42-20 in the paint to garner its 14th straight victory over the Beavers. Despite having three players in double figure scoring the Huskies had to much fire power for the Beavers in the contests.

Bemidji State was led offensively by the trio of Alex Smith (Sr., F, Miami, Fla.), Arron Evans (Sr., G, Minneapolis, Minn.) and Marques Ramos (Sr., F, Henderson, Nev.) who each netted 10 points in the contest. Smith led the Beavers with 10 rebounds to go with his 10 points for the only double-double of the game and his first double-double of the season while Evans led the Beavers with three assists. Seth Haake (So., G, Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Sergej Baskow (Ludwigsburg, Germany) each had nine points in the game.

The Beavers shot 39.1 percent from the field for the game while the Huskies shot 46.7 percent. The Huskies out rebounded the Beavers by fifteen rebounds (49-34).

St. Cloud State had four players in double figure scoring. David Dreas, Ross Winnekins, Taylor Witt, and Matt Schneck each recorded double-digit points. Dreas led all scorers with 20 points, with Winnekins notching 16 points, Witt garnering 13 points and Schneck added 12 points in the win for the Huskies. Dreas led the Huskies on the board with nine total rebounds while Dreas and Dusty Wabiszewski dished out four assists.

Bemidji State got off to a slow start as the Beavers fell behind 8-0 in the first 4:36 of the first half. Marques Ramos got the Beavers on the board at 15:08 of the first half with a three-pointer assisted by Arron Evans. The Beavers continued its run and brought the score within 8-7 from a jumper by Alex Smith and a couple free throws by Ramos. The Huskies pushed its lead up to 16-9 as they went on a 8-2 run over the next 2:30 minutes. BSU continued to keep it close as the Beavers tied the game at 20-20 with 6:14 left in the half. Alex Smith netted a three-pointer to tie the game for the first and only time of the game for the Beavers.

The Huskies closed out the second half with a 16-7 run to push its lead to nine points at the end of the first half at 36-27,

In the second half the Huskies increased their lead from nine points to 23 points in the first 5:07. The Beavers continued to battle and cut the Husky lead to 15 points on a jumper by Seth Haake but the Huskies were to much and by the end of the game increased its lead to 25 points (86-61).

Seth Haake and Sergej Baskow led the Beavers in scoring in the second half as they each notched seven points.

With the loss the Beavers fall to 40-86 all-time versus the Huskies from St. Cloud State and they fall to 19-56 at Hallenbeck Hall on the campus of St. Cloud State. The Beavers fall to 45-41 all-time in opening games and 13-24 when opening the season on the road.

The Beavers will wrap up the 2007 American Hoopster Classic tomorrow evening when the Beavers will take on the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks at 6:00 p.m. from Hallenbeck Hall on the campus of St. Cloud State University.

--beavers--