BEMIDJI, Minn. (BSU Gymnasium) -- The Bemidji State University men’s basketball team fell to 2008 NCAA Division II National Champions, Winona State University Warriors Friday in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play at the BSU Gymnasium.

The Warriors shot nearly 55-percent of their field goal attempts (34-62), including 13 three-pointers, en route to claiming their first NSIC win as they improved to 5-4 overall, 90-60.

For the second consecutive game Jimmy Johnson (Andover, Minn.) led BSU on the offensive end of the court, following up a career-high 16 points at Minnesota, Crookston with 14 versus WSU. The sophomore center was 5-of-6 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line while grabbing five rebounds.

In his fourth start of the season, Taylor Hall (Fr., F, Blaine, Minn.) added ten points and led the team with two steals. Brady Fairbanks (So., G, Bena, Minn.) pitched in six points and led the Beavers with a career-high five assists.

David Johnson led a quartet of Warriors in double-figures scoring a game-high 16 points making good on 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-6 three-point attempts and going 3-of-4 from the line. Matt Kroth added 11 points off the bench while Johnson led all players with seven rebounds helping the Warriors to a 44-23 edge on the boards.

The Beavers got out of the blocks quickly hitting on four of their first six field goal attempts as Hall, Seth Haake (Jr., G, Eden Prairie, Minn.), Bryce Tesdahl (Fr., G, Crosby, Minn.) and Johnson all connected from the field putting BSU up 11-7 just 3:46 into the game.

WSU went on a 9-0 pushing its lead to 16-11, but a layup by Fairbanks followed by a layup by Jake Lindstrom (Fr., G, Cottage Grove, Minn.) cut the Warriors lead to one (16-15) with 13:20 left in the half.

Winona State slow started to extend its lead over the final 13:20 of the half outscoring the Beavers 31-16 to take a commanding 47-31 lead into the break.

The Beavers came out of the break and cut the Warriors lead to 13 points twice before the 17-minute mark but a 13-4 over a 4:51 span pushed the Warriors lead to 24 (67-43) capped off by a layup by Ryan Gargaro.

The Warriors would keep the Beavers at bay as the clock wound down claiming the conference victory, 90-60.

The Beavers finished the game shooting 38.2 percent (21-55) from the field, 38.9 percent (7-18) from beyond the arc and 64.7 percent (11-17) from the charity stripe while their counter parts shot 54.8 percent (34-62) from the field, 13-30 from three’s (.433) and 9-of-15 (.600) from the line.

The Beavers are now 66-78 all-time versus the Warriors and have lost the last six versus WSU.

Bemidji State (1-6; 1-2 NSIC) will be back in action tomorrow night when the Beavers welcome Upper Iowa University (1-7; 0-3 NSIC) to town for a NSIC showdown. Tip off is set for 8 p.m. from the BSU Gymnasium.

Bemidji State University, located in Bemidji, Minn., is an NCAA Division II institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

--beavers--