BEMIDJI, Minn. (BSU Gymnasium) -- The Bemidji State University women's basketball team earned its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference win Saturday afternoon after defeating Wayne State College, 68-65. The Beavers (5-4, 1-4 NSIC) rode the hot hand of junior Tatum Sheley who scored a season-high 22 points against the Wildcats (5-5, 3-2 NSIC).
The Beavers held a 40-27 lead at halftime, at which point the team’s toughness came into play. Sheley, with the moment of the game, ran in to dive for an offensive rebound with 16 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The board came with BSU leading by two points, as Sheley then called for a timeout while laying on the ground. Aimee Pelzer, second on the team with 16 points, was sent to the free throw line to seal the game with two successful attempts.
Pelzer also made a strong defensive play late in the game, trailing by one point, while stealing a pass at half court and dishing to Hanna Zerr. Zerr laid in an easy transition score to give the Beavers the lead for good with 4:56 in the game.
Bemidji State began the game on a 7-0 run, forcing four Wayne State missed shots and one turnover. The Beavers totaled four 3-pointers in the opening quarter, as Sheley scored 13 points with a lead of 21-14 going into the second period. Sheley added six points in the second quarter, four coming during another 7-0 run to gain a 30-20 lead. The Beavers found holes in the Wildcats’ zone defense, as Pelzer and Allison Cordes knocked down long-range shots to build a 12-point lead at the 2:22 mark. BSU eventually extended the lead by an additional point while scoring six points off turnovers to head into the locker with a 40-27 advantage.
The Wildcats opened the second half on a 7-0 run to draw the deficit down to six through three minutes of play. WSC forced three turnovers and two missed shots from BSU during the stretch. The Beavers bounced back-and-forth from double-digit to single-digit point leads through the quarter, finishing the period with a 56-49 lead. Sheley and Pelzer led the Beavers’ intensity to hold off the Wildcats, while forcing five turnovers and six missed shots in the final quarter. The Wildcats opened the period on a 9-0 run to gain its first of the game. Zerr was fouled following a steal, sinking one of two free throws to end the run. Pelzer then made her game-changing steal, which led to Zerr’s fastbreak transition score to regain the lead for good.
Sheley scored 19 points in the first half while leading the team in scoring. Sierra Senske and Zerr followed Pelzer with eight points. Pelzer finished with eight rebounds, a career-high seven assists and three steals. The Beavers finished shooting 39.4 percent (26-66) from the field and 37.5 percent (9-24) from behind the arc. The Wildcats missed opportunities from the charity stripe, finishing at 66.7 percent (18-27). WSC also made just one 3-pointer on the night, totaling 11.1 percent (1-9) from long range.
Bemidji State remains at home for its final game of 2015 while hosting University of Minnesota Crookston at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18 in BSU Gymnasium.
Nestled in Northern Minnesota’s wooded region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
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