SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Bemidji State University Men's Basketball team fought off Augustana University to win by a score of 89-85 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play Saturday evening, in Sioux Falls, S.D. John Sutherland, for the third straight game, recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds with his final rebound coming on the last shot of the game. 
 
Bemidji State's win puts them at 13-7 overall and 8-6 in NSIC play, while Augustana falls to 9-11 overall and 5-9 in the conference. The Beavers earned their second-ever road win against the Vikings improving to 2-11 at Sioux Falls, S.D., and 6-17 all time.
 
Bemidji State started the game on a 5-1 run capped off by the first of five Brayden Williams three-pointers. Augustana responded quickly to take their only lead of the game before the 15-minute mark with an Isaac Frink deep ball for the 9-8 advantage. Sutherland and RJ Smith joined in on the long ball action accounting for the next two Beaver buckets. Going into the final minute, Williams remained perfect from three nailing his fifth of the game to give BSU its largest lead of the game at 42-31.
 
Williams was the leading scorer in the first half for Bemidji State with 17 points, 15 coming off his three-point field goals. As a team, everyone was hitting triples, as the Beavers finished the half 11-for-18 (61.1). BSU and AU both shot 30 times from the field, with Bemidji State connecting on 15 of its shots, while Augustana only made 10.
 
The Beavers were rolling in the second half extending their lead to 18 with just under eight minutes left on the clock. The Vikings did not back down and got hot at just the right time and went on a 17-4 run to cut BSU's lead to three with 45 seconds left to play. Mohamed Kone knocked down a pair of free throws to grow the lead back to five, but a quick layup from Ryan Miller brought the game back to three. AU sent Kone back to the line where he improved his free throw percentage hitting both shots. Miller then made a three-pointer to cut the lead to two with seven seconds left on the clock. Williams, after his strong first half, was scoreless in the second half until he had the chance to ice the game at the charity stripe and he did by knocking down both giving the Beavers the 89-85 victory. 
 
The pair of Sutherland and Kone both tallied over 20 points in the game with Sutherland leading the team with 22 and Kone right behind with 21. Sutherland went 8-for-13 from the field, made both three-point attempts and was 4-5 at the line. Kone scored his points mainly from deep with three long balls, six free throws and two jump shots. Williams rounded out the top-three scorers with a career-high 19 points. Johnny Tennyson gave BSU with four in double-figures in scoring adding 11 points. Sutherland also led the way in assists with five in the game and Kone and Williams finished with four. 
 
On the last play of the game, Sutherland corralled the rebound for this third double-double in a row and eighth of the season. Sutherland finished with three coming on the offensive glass and seven on defense. Kone was one shy of joining Sutherland with a double-double with nine. Sutherland swatted the only shot for the Beavers.
 
Isaac Fink paced Augustana with 25 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. 
 
With the win, BSU pulls two games ahead of Minot State in the North Division standings for the final home NSIC Tournament playoff spot with eight games left in the regular season. 
       
Bemidji State returns home this coming weekend by hosting Southwest Minnesota State University and University of Sioux Falls. The Beavers will host the Mustangs on Friday night starting at 5:30 p.m., before closing the weekend against the Cougars on Saturday beginning at 3:30 p.m. This season, the Beavers are 8-1 at home, having won five-straight inside BSU Gym.
 
 
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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