Jan. 9, 2010

ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- The Bemidji State University men’s basketball team struggled in the second half and it led to a 80-69 loss to St. Cloud State University Saturday in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game at Halenbeck Hall. The loss extends BSU’s losing streak to six overall and four in the NSIC.

“During this losing streak we have been taking shots too quickly, forcing us to play way too much defense,” said head coach Matt Bowen. “We did a better job of breaking people down today, playing our game instead of playing into our opponents’ strengths. I’m proud of our effort today and I hope this is a step in the right direction.”

The Beavers (5-9, 2-6 NSIC) had all five of their starters score in double-figures for the first time this season. Senior Seth Haake (G, Eden Prairie, Minn.) and sophomore Bryce Tesdahl (G, Crosby, MInn.) led the squad with 15 apiece. BSU outshot SCSU 50.0 percent to 43.1 percent from the field, marking the fourth loss this season when the Beavers have outshot their opponent and second loss when shooting 50 percent or more. The Beavers’ opponents finally cooled down in Saturday’s loss, as the previous five games saw the BSU opponents shoot 45.5 percent or better, three of which were over 50.0 percent. BSU had an issue with turnovers for the second consecutive night, committing 18 giveaways. SCSU scored 27 points off Bemidji State turnovers.

There were six lead changes and six ties in the first 10 minutes of the game. The back-and-forth play finally ended at the 10:03 mark when Haake dropped a 3-pointer to give BSU a one-point advantage at 22-21. The Beavers followed it with a 10-2 run to earn a nine-point lead with 6:26 remaining, the largest it would see in the game. Tesdahl scored five points in the stretch, while junior Patrick Cassidy (F, St. Paul, Minn.) poured in the other five. BSU held its lead through halftime, owning a 41-36 lead at the break. The Beavers scored 22 points in the paint to SCSU’s four.

The Huskies used the first 3:03 of the second frame to tie the game 44-44, the seventh time the score had been knotted in the contest. SCSU continued to roll and took a four point lead at 48-44 with 14:59 remaining in regulation. The two teams traded a couple of baskets, but then the Huskies went on a 13-3 run from the 10:49 to the 7:22 mark, owning a 65-51 advantage. The Beavers were never able to get the deficit below 10, en route to the 11 point loss.

Cassidy scored 14 points, freshman Lance Rongstad (G, Eleva, Wis.) scored 12 points and in his first-career start, freshman Mason Walters (G/F, Milton, Wis.) scored 10 points and added a team-high seven rebounds.

BSU hosts Northern State in its next action Jan. 15 at 8 p.m.

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

--bsu--