BEMIDJI, Minn. -- Senior forward Derek Thompson had his breakout game of the short season with 33 points to lead Bemidji State University men's basketball to a 97-83 win at St. Cloud State University Saturday at Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud, Minn. Thompson went 13-of-19 from the field and helped the Beavers to their first win in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

Thompson's strong first half began with a 3-pointer just two minutes into play and continued with another 3-pointer to spark BSU's game-changing run five minutes later. Fifteen of Thompson's 18 first-half points came as part of a 43-18 BSU run to end the first half, as the Beavers shot 17-of-23 from the field and 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. Thompson's second 3-pointer of the game brought BSU within three points, 19-16, of SCSU before senior guard Mohamed Kone put in his first basket of the day, a 3-pointer to take a 24-23 lead just before the 10-minute mark.

Kone's 3-pointer was followed by a driving dunk by senior guard Gare Ewefada and back-to-back 3-pointers by senior guard Tyler Behrendt and Kone to give BSU full momentum and a 32-27 advantage at the under-10 media timeout. The Beavers held the Huskies to 5-of-18 on field goals over the final 10 minutes of the first half to hold a 56-41 lead at the break.

After four consecutive points by the Huskies to open the second half, sophomore forward Dalton Albrecht scored the Beavers' first points to start a scoring streak for both teams. BSU and SCSU combined to make 14 straight field goals over a four-minute span, ending with a layup by Thompson for his 24th point of the game and a 73-58 lead for BSU with 12:43 to play.

Bemidji State continued to lead by double-digits through the entirety of the second-half, holding off a late run by St. Cloud State at the five-minute mark. The Huskies went on a 9-5 run to pull the Beavers' lead down to 10, 82-72, before Thompson hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game to spark a quick 9-1 run for BSU.

Both teams shot over 50 percent from the field, led by the Beavers shooting 60.9 percent from the field (39-64) with its most 3-pointers of the season at 12. In addition to its most 3-pointers, BSU won the battle in the paint, 50-34.

Kone followed Thompson in scoring with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting and added six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Ewefada finished with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting while Behrendt scored 11 points, including 3-of-3 on shots from beyond the arc. Thompson led the Beavers for the second straight game with eight rebounds.

Bemidji State continues its conference schedule Dec. 10-11 with a home weekend against Minnesota State University Moorhead and Northern State University.

For more information on the Bemidji State athletic programs, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeavers), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers).

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).

--bsu--