CROOKSTON, Minn. (Lysaker Gymnasium) (box score) - Bemidji State University’s Heidi Matzke (Jr., G, Red Lake Falls, Minn.) drained a career-high six three-pointers en route to a game-high 32 points in a 89-56 victory over Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) foe Minnesota, Crookston Sunday afternoon at Lysaker Gymnasium. The Beavers shot a blistering 53 percent from the field while holding the Golden Eagles to just 38 percent shooting.

Despite Matzke’s 32 points, the Beavers also had four more players in double digits as freshman Colleen McKay (F, Barnum, Minn.) posted 16, Stephanie Peterson (Sr., C, Bismarck, N.D.) dropped in 14 and freshman Katherine Jamnick (C, Soudan, Minn.) netted a career-high 11 points. Peterson led the Beavers on the boards grabbing 12 rebounds to go with her 14 points for her seventh double-double of the season and the 30th of her career. Lawson led the Beavers with a game-high nine assists.

Minnesota, Crookston was led in scoring by Jamie Zelinsky who scored 18 points. Jessica Biddle and Kim Grand joined Zelinsky in double-digit scoring with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Biddle led the Golden Eagles with six rebounds.

BSU jumped out to an early 7-4 lead just 4:55 into the game as Matzke notched five of the Beavers seven point in that span.

The Beavers then went on a 16-0 run over the next 3:27 to push its lead to 19-points, 23-4, capped off by a Jamnick layup. Jamie Zelinsky would end the Beavers run by hitting two consecutive three-point baskets to cut the Beavers lead to 23-10 at the under 10-minute media timeout. Zelinsky had all 10 points for the Golden Eagles in the first 10-minutes of the contest.

Coming out of the break Matzke netted 10 consecutive Beaver points to push the Beavers lead to 20-points, 33-13, their largest of the first half. The Golden Eagles battled back as out-scored the Beavers 16-to-8 to close out the first half and cut the Beavers lead to 12-points heading into the intermission, 41-29.

BSU was led by Matzke as she recorded 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting and netting a career-high five of the Beavers six three-point field goals in the half. Zelinsky led UMC with 10 in the frame. BSU out rebounded the Golden Eagles 25-13 while netting six more points in the paint than UMC, 14-8.

The Beavers broke open the game mid way through the second half as the Beavers out scored the Golden Eagles 22-13 during the first 9:41 of the second half to push their lead to its largest of the game, 63-42. The run was capped off by a jumper and a three-pointer by Melissa Roberts (Jr., F, Staples, Minn.)

The Beavers never looked back as they continued to extend their lead and by the time the last horn sounded BSU had built its lead to 33-points for a final score of 89-56 to extend its win streak over the Golden Eagles to five games.

The Beavers out rebounded the Golden Eagles 46-27 in the game while forcing the Golden Eagles into 22 turnovers, 16 of which came off of Bemidji State steals. The Beavers out scored the Golden Eagles 26-to-12 on points off turnovers.

Stephanie Peterson moved into eight on BSU’s all-time scoring list passing Kim Babula (1983-87). Peterson currently has 1,142 points in her career.

With the win BSU improves to 17-6 all-time versus UMC and extends their winning streak to five games over the Golden Eagles.

Bemidji State improves to 12-11 overall and 8-6 in the NSIC while the Golden Eagles fall to 6-17 and 2-12 in conference play.

Bemidji State will look to extend a two game winning streak next weekend as the Beavers will travel to the Dakota’s to face the University of Mary and Northern State University. The Beavers will face UM on Feb. 15 and NSU on Feb. 16. Both games are set for 6:00 p.m. starts.

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

--beavers--