BISMARCK, N.D. (Activity Center) - The Crookston, Minn. freshman duo of Sydney Epema and Taylor Davis led the Beavers with 18 and 11 points, respectively but it wasn’t enough as the University of Mary sank the Beavers 73-57 at the Activity Center in Bismarck, N.D. on Saturday night.

BSU led by as many as sixteen points (30-14) with 5:46 left in the first half, but was out scored 39-4 during a 12:06 span watching its lead turn into a 19-point deficit with 13:40 left in the game (53-34).

Epema netted tied a career-best with six three points for all 18 of her points while Davis was 3-of-9 from the field and 5-of-7 from the free-throw line for her 11 points. Samantha Baldwin (Fr., G, St. Thomas, N.D.) chipped in nine points while grabbing a team-high six rebounds and dishing out a team-best three assists.

Anna Skala led the charge for the Marauders recording the game’s only double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. She was 6-of-11 from the field, 7-of-10 from the line added a block and three steals in 34 minutes of play. Kayla Rogers added 17 points while Sonny Schulz and Abby Bratlien had 13 and 10 points, respectively. Rogers dished out a team-high five assists.

The Beavers got out of the gates quickly scoring 12 of the first 15 points to hold a 12-3 lead with 14:14 left in the half. The Marauders went on a 13-2 run closing BSU lead to two (16-14) on a Rachel Zillmer lay up with just over 10:09 left in the half, but a 14-0 run by the Beavers pushed its lead to the largest of the game (30-14) capped off by a Epema three.

The Beavers offense went cold as they didn’t not make a field goal the remainder of the half allowing UM to go on a 21-2 run to close out the first half, taking a 35-32 lead into the break.

BSU’s struggles continued to start the second half as UM would go on to out score the Beavers 18-2 as the second half got underway, extending its lead to 19 points, 53-34, before the 13-minute mark.

BSU would regroup, cutting the lead to 12 points, twice off of back-to-back three pointers by Epema and Baldwin, but any hopes of a Beavers’ comeback was thwarted in the final three-minuets as the Marauders scored five of the final six points of the game to take a 73-57 win over BSU.

The Beavers finished the game 18-47 (.383) from the floor, 8-of-20 (.400) from beyond the arc and 13-of-18 from the free-throw line (.722). UM was 24-of-54 (.444) from the field, 9-of-22 (.409) from outside the arc and 16-of-20 (.800) from the line.

BSU won the game on the glass (34-32) but had five more miscues than the Marauders (20-15). Mary scored 11 more points off BSU turnovers, 18 more points in the paint and had five more second chance points in the win.

Bemidji State (2-15; 0-10 NSIC) will wrap up its three-game road swing next weekend when the Beavers travel to Duluth, Minn. to take on the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs on Saturday, Jan. 24 from Romano Gymnasium at 3:00 p.m.

Notes: Epema and Davis garner double-digit point totals (18, 11)...Beavers losing streak reaches 13 games, longest in school history...Beavers open conference season 0-10 for first time since 2004-05 and third time in school history...BSU is 1-6 all-time versus UM and are on a six game losing skid to the Marauders...BSU has not beaten UM since Mary joined the NSIC.

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

--beavers--