BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Men's Basketball team got sweet revenge on Concordia University-St. Paul by a score of 88-71 Friday night, avenging an early season loss to the Golden Bears, (3-14, 1-10 NSIC) in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play, inside the BSU Gymnasium. The Beavers (11-6, 6-5 NSIC) put up 44 points in both halves and shot 78.3-percent in the first half for the best shooting half in years.  
 
After suffering a nailing biting loss on Nov. 15 early in the season to CSP, Bemidji State responded with a big win of its own this time around. In the Beavers first match up, they had their third-lowest shooting percentage with 44.6-percent. BSU followed that up with its best shooting performance in years converting on more than 65-percent of its shots for the first time since Feb. 10, 2017 against Minnesota State University, Moorhead where the team made 66.1-percent, compared to tonight's 67.4-percent. 
 
The Beavers started the game off hot with Mohamed Kone scoring the first Beaver basket with a three-point shot around the logo as the shot clock sounded. Bemidji State was not done there and followed it up by making two of its next three deep balls coming from Brayden Williams to open on a 9-0 run. 
 
Concordia-St. Paul was held to zero points until the 16:11 mark and the Beavers followed that up with a 6-0 run. Unlike the previous run, all points were in the paint this time around with a Dalton Albrecht layup, a Kone jumper and a fast break dunk from RJ Smith, his first of two on the half. Following Smith's second dunk, Albrecht gave the Beavers their largest lead of the half with a free throw to put BSU up 24-6 with 10:15 left in the first half.  
 
The Golden Bears started to gain some momentum of their own going on a 6-0 run and were able to close the lead to eight with just over three minutes left in the opening half. Tate Olson helped end the run as he subbed in just in time to connect on a shot behind the arc to regain a 10-point lead. Williams on the next possession made his third three of the half and converted his free throw for the four-point play. With time winding down on the first half, Johnny Tennyson put up a deep three that went in to give the Beavers a 44-33 edge going into half as the buzzer sounded. 
 
Williams put on a strong performance in the half making every shot he took, 5-for-5 from the field, 3-for-3 from three and made his one free throw for 14 points. As a team, BSU had one of the best team shooting performances that will be near impossible to match by going 18-for-23 (78.3%) from the field, 6-for-9 (66.7%) from behind the arc and 2-for-3 from the charity stripe. 
 
Bemidji State picked up right where it left off making its first three shots coming from an early layup from John Sutherland and five points from Kone. After the first five minutes elapsed, CSP cut the BSU lead to seven, but with a Kone five-point run and a pair of Albrecht free throws the Beavers regained their double-digit lead.  
 
Williams extended the lead back to the previous largest lead of 18 with his second four-point play of the night. The Beavers hit the line to shoot free throws to end the game pulling ahead by 20 with under a minute to play and wrapped the game up 88-71. 
 
Concordia-St. Paul was in foul trouble early in the second half, where Bemidji State only saw the line for three attempts in the first half, they shot 18 in the second half connecting on 16 for their second-best game at the line with an 85.7-percent clip. Smith, Kone, Williams and Tennyson all were perfect from the line. 
 
Smith was close to recording the first ever Bemidji State triple-double with 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Smith also put up three blocks all in the second half and only missed 1:17 of game time, seeing a full 20 minutes in the second half. Smith's assists came from driving in the lane then kicking it to the three-point arc where his teammates would do the rest.  
   
After being held to only five points in the first half, Kone came alive to lead the Beavers with 22 points on the night, shooting 8-for-11 from the field and going a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc and the free throw line with two. Williams had a perfect night shooting with four three-pointers, two lay ups and a pair of free throws for 18 points. For the third time this season, five student-athletes reached double-figures. Joining Kone, Williams and Smith was Sutherland with 15 points and Tennyson with 14.  
    
Bemidji State, with its best shooting performance, limited the number of rebounds up for grabs and in the first half held CSP to only five, while grabbing 13 of their own. In the second half, Concordia-St. Paul increased its number to 19, 10 shy of Bemidji State's 29. Rebounds were spread pretty even across the team with Smith leading the pack with nine. Sutherland, Williams and Kone were right behind with four and Albrecht and Tennyson finished with three.  
    
The Beavers look to add to their home record of 7-1 tomorrow (Saturday) as they host Minnesota State University, Mankato in the BSU Gymnasium at 5:30 p.m.  
   
For more information on the Bemidji State Men'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.   
    
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University 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).   

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