BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University women's basketball team picks up its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victory defeating Minot State University 71-58 Saturday afternoon in Bemidji, Minn. Maddie Schires was a driving force in the win leading the Beavers (4-9, 1-7 NSIC) in points with 20 and grabbing six rebounds. 
 
Bemidji State earned its first conference win since Feb. 5, 2022 in a 66-63 victory over University of Mary.  
 
Bemidji State took a little time to warm up but then dropped 12 points in the final five minutes of the quarter. It helped that Minot State (5-8, 1-7 NSIC) could not convert going 3-for-17 in the first quarter. BSU led for 36:46 minutes and never let off the gas. Coming out of the half the Beavers came out strong starting with Alyssa Hill who put up six points in one minute with her last layup starting a 13-point run. In the third quarter the Beavers scored 25 points for the third best quarter this season. Schires for the second night in a row shot 50% from behind the arc making five of her 10 shots. The Beavers put up their second-best shooting performance of the season going 26-for-57 (46.5%). 
 
Schires' 20 points set a new career high previously scoring 18 against St. Cloud State University on Dec. 1 of this year. For the third time this season Schires converted five three pointers. Hill finished second on the scorer's sheet for BSU coming away 16 points all coming from inside the paint and breaking her own season high of 14. Trinity Yoder rounded out the top three in scoring with 10 points. Yoder led the team in assists two short of her third double-double of the season.
  
Hill was dominant in the paint recording her second double-double of the season with a season high of 11 rebounds, six coming on the offensive boards. As a team Bemidji State out battled Minot State for the missed shots coming away with 11 more than MSU. Yoder and Schires followed Hill with six rebounds apiece and Jana Swanson came off the bench and snagged five. The Beaves swatted three of Minot State's shots, contributing were Rachel Koenig, Sam Pogatchnik and Schires.
 
The Beavers start the new year on the road as they travel to Upper Iowa University and Winona State University on Jan 6-7 with their first game tipping off at 5:30 p.m.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State women's basketball program, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeavers), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) or sign up for the TXTUpdates from BSUBeavers.com text-messaging system through the "Multimedia" pull down menu on the main page of BSUBeavers.com. 
 
Nestled in Northern Minnesota's wooded region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, BSU sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association 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—