ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (McArthur Center)– The Bemidji State University men's basketball team build a 15 point first-half lead and led 60-49 with 8:38 to go, but the University of Tampa went on a 15-1 run late to steal the lead and held off a last-second charge by the Beavers to hand BSU a 67-64 loss to wrap up the Eckerd Thanksgiving Classic Saturday.

Kone led the Beavers with season-highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds, while John Sutherland added 10 points. Tampa's Jones led all players with 30 points on 10-of-23 from the floor, 3-of-8 from beyond the arc, and 7-of-8 from the free-through stripe.

The Beavers shot nearly 67-percent from the field in the first half hitting 19-of-29 from the floor. Kone led the charge during going 6-of-9, while Gare Ewefada was 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. The Beavers used a 14-1 run, capped with a layup by Kone at the 2:45 mark of the first half, and the Beavers scored 16 of the last 19 points of the half to own a 44-29 lead at the break.

The second half opened in a very different way for the Beavers.

BSU went 5:23 without a basket during the opening minutes of the second half and committed five turnovers during that stretch, but weathered the storm and despite a 9-0 run by UT, BSU clung to a 50-47 advantage on the scoreboard.

BSU answered with a run of its own, but would fail to score for 4:52 and saw Tampa go on a 15-1 over 8:06 to take its first lead since just 3:22 into the first half, 63-61, with 3:34 left in the game.

Time ran out on the Beavers' comeback attempt as the Beavers shot just 30-percent during the final 20 minutes and committed 11 turnovers.

The Beavers got a three-point basket by Mohamed Kone to reel Tampa to within a point with 0:03 to go. BSU fouled a UT player on the ensuing inbounds play in an attempt to stop the clock and get the ball back, but Max Jones sank two free throws to extend the UT lead.  The Beavers turned the ball over in the final seconds and took the loss.

Now 3-3 on the season, Bemidji State will jump back into Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Dec. 2 when the team returns to the BSU Gymnasium to host the University of Minnesota Duluth. Opening tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.

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 Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, respectively, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

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