Box Score BEMIDJI, Minn. (BSU Gymnasium) -- An electric atmosphere surrounded BSU Gymnasium Friday night as the Bemidji State University men's basketball team handed Minot State University an 82-54 loss to open the weekend. BSU snapped a seven-game losing streak to improve to 7-13 overall and 4-12 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Senior guard Travis Bianco led all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting and added four rebounds and four assists. Senior guard Mohamed Kone followed with 15 points, including his 1,000th career point scored with 10:23 to play, and neared a double-double with nine rebounds.
Sophomore forward John Sutherland recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds while senior forward Derek Thompson neared a double-double with 13 rebounds and eight points.
BSU scored the first four points of the game and extended its lead to six nearly 10 minutes into play as freshman guard Jayce Lowman hit his first 3-pointer of the game. Bemidji State's lead was cut to one point, 21-20, before Lowman and Kone each hit 3-pointers as part of a 10-0 run to end the half.
Following a 39-26 lead by BSU entering the second half, both teams came out with intensity that led to two flagrant fouls by MiSU. The second came on the end of an 8-0 run by BSU that included Kone's 1,000th career collegiate point. Senior forward Derek Thompson put in a layup to end the run, which was capped by two free throws, that gave BSU its first 20-point lead of the night, 59-38.
BSU shot 52 percent from the floor in both halves and limited MiSU to 30 percent shooting in the second half to pull away.
Bemidji State closes out its weekend at 5:30 p.m. Saturday with tip-off against the University of Mary at BSU Gymnasium.
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 Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
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