BEMIDJI, Minn. (BSU Gymnasium) – Senior guard Travis Bianco recorded his fourth 20-point game of the season as the Bemidji State University men's basketball team fell to Winona State University, 79-74, Friday night at BSU Gymnasium. Bianco led the Beavers with 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals as the team falls to 6-7 overall and 3-6 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

Bianco chipped in 13 of his 23 points in the first half and finished the game shooting 8-of-14 from the field, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range. He also led BSU in rebounds for a team-high fifth time. Fellow seniors Mohamed Kone and Derek Thompson each reached double digit scoring, Kone with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting and Thompson with 12 points. Kone also added a team-high seven rebounds.

The difference in Friday's game came midway through the second half after the Beavers built a game-high lead of seven points, 59-52. Coming out of halftime with a 38-38 tie, senior guard Tyler Behrendt made his first basket of the game to give BSU a lead, which was followed by a scoring run of 8-2 by WSU to regain its lead.

Over the ensuing four minutes, the Beavers went on a 17-6 run for its game-high lead, sinking seven straight field goal attempts. Kone converted a dunk on a steal opportunity followed by three 3-pointers from Bianco and sophomore forward Dalton Albrecht for the 59-52 lead with 11:31 to play.

Winona State pulled away behind a 16-5 run over a span of 8:55. With 2:36 remaining in the game, WSU missed just one field goal and sank 7-of-8 free throw attempts to seal the game.

Bemidji State finished the game shooting 48.2 percent from the field (27-56), 45.5 percent from beyond the arc (10-22) and 76.9 percent from the charity stripe (10-13). Winona State shot 45.9 percent from the floor (28-61), 26.9 percent from 3-point range (7-26) and 88.9 percent from the free throw line (16-18). The Warriors won the rebound battle by a slim margin, 35-31.

BSU closes out its home stand Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against No. 19 Upper Iowa 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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