LAKELAND, Fla. (The Furnace) – The Bemidji State University women's basketball team fought to the final second, but could not complete a second-half comeback, dropping an 81-76 nonconference contest to Southeaster University, Saturday.

Bemidji State was led by Trinity Yoder, Maddie Schires, and Rachael Heittola, who each poured in 15 points, while Yoder pulled down a team-best six rebounds and dished nine assists to match a career-high.

BSU opened the game in a hole, surrendering the first six points of the game. The team clawed its way back to tie the score at 12-12 on a layup by Yoder at the 5:28 mark, and again at 14-14 at the 3:19 mark, but Southeastern scored eight of the last nine points of the quarter to take a 22-15 lead into the second. 

The Beavers owned the second quarter. Yoder hit the first shot of the and sparked an 11-0 stretch. In all, the Beavers opened the second quarter on a 14-2 run to snatch the lead, 33-30, at the 5:57 mark on a layup by Taylor Vold. BSU took again jumped into the lead, on a layup by Jana Swanson moments later, but got just three points during the final 2:52 of the quarter and trailed 42-38 at the half. 

After a hoop by BSU's Heittola opened the third quarter, Southeastern scored 13 of the next 14 points to extend its lead to 55-41 with 5:43 left in the quarter.  

BSU slowly chipped away at the Southeastern lead, trading basket-for-basket to complete the third quarter trailing 65-56.

Southeastern owned a 75-65 lead with 4:12, but the Beavers went on an 8-1 run to cut the deficit to three points, 76-73, with 70 seconds left on the clock. A three-pointer by Schires with 27 seconds to play, kept BSU in line to take the game late, but a miss, turnover, and a pair of free throws by Tahanee Bennell with 15 seconds on the clock, put the game out of reach of the Beavers. 

Now 3-2 on the season, Bemidji State will return to Bemidji, Minn. Dec. 2 for a 7:30 p.m. opening tip versus Minnesota Duluth to continue Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

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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