SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Stewart Center) -- Senior guard Mohamed Kone recorded his third 20-point game of the season Friday night as the Bemidji State University men's basketball team fell, 72-65, at the University of Sioux Falls. The Beavers held a 14-point, second-half lead before the Cougars finished the game on a 33-12 run.

BSU opened the game shooting 53.8 percent from the field in the first half before closing the final 12:52 shooting 5-of-20 from the floor and 1-of-11 from beyond the arc with six turnovers given away. Over the same stretch, USF went 11-of-22 from the field and 10-of-10 from the free throw line.

Kone led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-20 shooting with seven assists and five rebounds. Sophomore forward John Sutherland followed with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting while senior guard Travis Bianco scored 13 points with a team-high nine rebounds.

BSU jumped ahead to a 7-0 lead, led off by five straight points from Bianco, after forcing USF to miss its first four field goal attempts. Freshman guard Jayce Lowman hit a running floater near the free throw line to extend BSU's lead to a first-half-high eight points, 13-5. The Beavers held on to its eight-point lead until 10 minutes to play when the Cougars went on a 9-2 run to pull within one point. USF flipped the one-point difference to take a 32-31 lead into halftime.

Following a basket by USF to open the second half, BSU went on a 22-5 run over a span of 5:54, making 9-of-10 field goal attempts, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range. Kone chipped in seven points during the run followed by Sutherland with seven. The Beavers' defense limited the Cougars to 2-of-9 shooting on its way to a game-high 14-point, 53-39 lead with 12:52 to play.

The Beavers shot 48.3 percent from the field (28-58), 24.0 percent from beyond the arc (6-25) and made 3-of-6 free throws. The Cougars shot 38.5 percent from the field (25-65), 29.2 percent from 3-point range (7-24) and went 15-of-15 from the free throw line. BSU gave away 16 turnovers that led to 21 points for USF.

Bemidji State finishes its three-game road trip Saturday with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off at Southwest Minnesota State University.

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

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