MANKATO, Minn. - The Bemidji State University women’s basketball team fell just short on Friday night as they fell 77-73 on the road against Minnesota State University, Mankato at the Taylor Center in Mankato, Minn. The Beavers shot 53 percent from the field and 46 percent from beyond the arc but were unable to overcome the Mavericks down the stretch as MSU outscored BSU 8-3. BSU falls to 5-11 (2-10 NSIC). Minnesota State improves to 9-7 (6-6 NSIC).

Colleen McKay (Sr., C, Barnum, Minn.) leads the Beavers with 14 points. The outing continues a streak of solid games for the senior post. McKay is averaging 12.7 points in her last six games. McKay was aided by the hot hand of Shannon Thompson (So., G, Rosemount, Minn.) who added 13 points on four of five shooting including three of four from beyond the arc. Thompson came into the game only shooting 11.1 percent from beyond the arc after she was one of BSU’s strongest three-point shooters as a freshman. Jessie Althoff (So., F/C, Becker, Minn.) also added 13 points on five of 10 shooting. BSU also won the battle of the glass 38-29. The dimunitive Thompson and Samantha Baldwin (Jr., G, St. Thomas, N.D.), both standing only 5-7, led BSU on the boards with six.

Ali Wilkinson paced Minnesota State in the victory with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Jennie Noreen, sister of current BSU men’s basketball player Zach Noreen, added 16 points. Andrea Walsh and Kirstin Nelson also scored in double figures with each tallying 12. MSU only had 10 turnovers to 20 for BSU. Turnovers have continued to be a problem for the Beavers especially in recent weeks.

The first half was defined by a series of runs by both teams as BSU went into the locker room with a 44-42 lead over Minnesota State. The Beavers went on a 16-0 run from 13:33 mark to the 8:54 mark led by six points apiece by Wessling and Thompson. Thompson dialed in two from downtown during the stretch. BSU was down 18-15 heading into the stretch and used the run to take a 31-18 lead. However the Mavericks countered with a run of their own outscoring 15-0 from near five minutes remaining until the 2:58 mark.

The Beavers hot shooting (67 percent from the field) was paced in the first half by McKay’s 12 points on six of nine shooting. Thompson added nine off the bench as she caught fire from beyond the arc making all three of her first-half attempts. Bemidji State connected on 57 percent of their shots from three point land. BSU also outrebounded their foes from Minnesota State by the tune of 16 boards to 12 for the Mavericks.

Minnesota State was paced by Noreen with 14 points on five of nine shooting. MSU shot 45.5 percent from the floor in the opening period.

The Beavers were unable to end their road skid which now is at 11 games stretching back to the end of the 2009-10 campaign. BSU will look to end the skid as they head to Marshall, Minn. for a 6 p.m. tip against Southwest Minnesota State University.
 

-Check back later for the full story-