CROOKSTON, Minn. (Lysaker Gymnasium)– The Bemidji State University men’s basketball team came up short to the University of Minnesota, Crookston Saturday dropping a hard-fought Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference loss, 68-65, at Lysaker Gymnasium. The Beavers shot 53 percent from the field in the game while the Golden Eagles shot just 39 percent but it was not enough as the Golden Eagles were able to snap a nine game skid to Bemidji State.

Arron Evans (Sr., G, Minneapolis, Minn.) led the Beavers in scoring for the seventh time this season as he netted 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Evans seven field goals tied a career-high. Patrick Cassidy (Fr., F, St. Paul, Minn.) joined Evans in double-figures dropping in 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Jimmy Johnson (Fr., C, Andover, Minn.) and Sergej Baskow (So., F, Ludwigsburg, Germany) added nine points apiece. The nine point performance was a career-high for Johnson.

Alex Smith (Jr., C, Miami, Fla.) led the Beavers on the boards with eight rebounds leading the Beavers for the 11th time on the glass. Seth Haake (So., G, Eden Prairie, Minn.) tied a career-high with five assists.

UMC had three players record double-figure scoring totals and was led by Akeem Cubie who tallied a team-high 17 points. Matt Pelzer added 12 points and Joey Kollar chipped in 10. Kollar forged the Golden Eagle rebounding effort with seven boards as UMC was out manned 39-29 on the backboards.

BSU jumped out of the gates taking a 7-0 lead just 1:38 into the game. Cassidy put the Beavers up 2-0 :12 seconds into the game followed by a Evans layup and three-point field goal. Bemidji State continued to apply pressure early as a layup by Baskow at the 12:55 mark of the first half put the Beavers up eight, 15-7.

The Golden Eagles would begin to pull it together as the went on a 18-to-10 run to tie the game at 25-25 with 5:06 left in the frame. The Golden Eagles closed out the final 5:06 of the half on a 10-4 run led by Akeem Cubie who netted five of the Golden Eagles 10 points.

The difference in the first half was the Golden Eagles hit 5-of-11 three pointers (.455) while the Beavers knocked down just two three pointers on seven attempts (.286).

The second half began with Bryce Cummings connecting from long range to push the Golden Eagles lead to nine points, 38-29, their largest of the game. The Beavers began to reel the Golden Eagles in as they went on a 13-5 run over the next 7:47 of the second half and closed the Golden Eagles led to one, 43-42, with 12:55 remaining in the game.

The Golden Eagles went on its own run pushing its lead to 12 points the largest of the contest for either team. UMC outscored BSU 15-4 in a span of 5:26 seconds. BSU tried to put together one last comeback attempt as Evans got things started for the Beavers connecting on his fourth three-point field goal of the game.

The Beavers reeled the Golden Eagles to with in three points three-times in the final 2:00 of the game but it would not be enough as UMC would earn its first win over the Beavers since Feb. 8, 2002 when the Golden Eagles down BSU 88-85 in Crookston, Minn.

The Beavers shot 53.3 percent (24-45) from the field and 6-of-14 (42.9) from the three point line while the Golden Eagles shot 39.3 percent (22-56) from the field and 8-of-16 (.500) from the three point line.

The Beavers fall to 32-12 all-time versus Minnesota, Crookston with the loss and fall to 6-17 overall and 3-11 in conference play while the Golden Eagles improve to 5-18 overall and 2-12 in the NSIC.

The Beavers will wrap up its Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) road schedule next weekend as they will travel to Bismarck, N.D. and Aberdeen, S.D. The Beavers will play the University of Mary Marauders on Friday, Feb. 15 followed by Northern State University on Saturday, Feb. 16. Game times are set for 8:00 p.m.

Bemidji State returns home on Feb. 22 when they host power house Winona State.

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

--beavers--