BEMIDJI, Minn. (BSU Gymnasium) - It was a career night for Bemidji State University center Katherine Jamnick (Soudan, Minn.). The junior poured in a career-high 19 points in a Beavers loss to Upper Iowa University, 83-70, Saturday night at the BSU Gymnasium.

Netting 8-of-11 (.727) from the floor and going 3-of-6 from the line, Jamnick scored more than any BSU player since Heidi Matzke (Sr., G, Red Lake Falls, Minn.) tallied 20, Dec. 5, 2008.

Jamnick was a force in the paint for the Beavers keeping the game within reach for nearly 31 minutes, but when the Peacocks rattled off a 16-6 run during the final eight minutes of play, it would give UIU a 15-point cushion (79-64) putting the game out of reach for Bemidji State.

The Beavers finished the night out shooting the Peacocks making good on 26-of-61 (.426) while UIU was 28-of-69 (.406). The difference in the game that BSU turned the ball over 21 times to UIU’s six and got to the just 16 times while the Peacocks made 23-of-28 freebies.

Jamnick led the Beavers in scoring while Matzke added 18 points and matched Samantha Baldwin (Fr., G, St. Thomas, N.D.) with a BSU-best five assists. Jamnick paced a BSU team that out rebounded the Peacocks 45-37 with a career-high 13 boards. Baldwin recorded eight rebounds while Jamnick had a career-high four blocks.

Jamnick’s 19 points and 13 rebounds was good for her first collegiate double-double performance and first of the season for BSU.

Britney Iredale recorded a game-high 21 points while pulling down a Peacock high 11 rebounds while teammate Paige DeVine added 11 points and 10 rebounds to join Iredale in the double-double ranks. Andrea Downs and Lana Otting added 19 and 13 points, respectively while Downs, Otting and Lene Lox each had four assists.

BSU jumped out to an early 5-2 lead behind a three by Matzke and a jumper by Jamnick but UIU would quickly erase the Beavers only lead of the game as the Peacocks went on a 7-0 run capped off by a Melissa Fritz three pointer giving UIU a 9-5 lead 6:50 into the game.

The Beavers closed UIU’s lead to two twice before the 12-minute mark but a 8-0 run by the Peacocks would give UIU its largest lead of the game at 19-10 just before the media time out. The Peacocks eventually pushed its lead to 13 points (29-16) with 5:23 left in the half.

BSU ended the half on a 12-6 run to close the UIU to seven points by halftime (35-28) as Jamnick led the Beavers during the run with six of her 19 points.

The Beavers came out in the second half to trim the deficit to 36-33 off three successful free-throw shots by Sydney Epema (Fr., G, Crookston, Minn.) at the 18:51 mark. UIU would respond by scoring eight of the next ten points to stretch their lead back to 11 points (46-35). But the Peacocks just could not shake the Beavers.

BSU closed the lead to within five points three times in the final 10 minutes of play but that was as close as the Peacocks allowed BSU to get as UIU slammed the door on any hopes of a BSU comeback win when they finished the final 8:29 on a 20-12 run to take the 83-70 win.

The Peacocks went on to claim their first conference win (1-3) and improve to 4-5 overall.

The win improves UIU to 3-7 all-time in the series with the Beavers that got its start in 2004. It also marks the second-consecutive victory the Peacocks have posted over the Beavers. It is also UIU’s first ever victory at the BSU Gymnasium.

Bemidji State (2-8; 0-4 NSIC) is off until Dec. 19 when BSU travels to Omaha, Neb. to take on the Nebraska, Omaha Mavericks in a non-conference tilt. The game is set for a 5:30 p.m. start.

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

--beavers--