BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Women's Basketball team earned its first victory of the University of Sioux Falls in program history Saturday evening 65-61 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play at the BSU Gymnasium. Isabel Majewski made five three-pointers in the first three quarters to help lift the Beavers (6-14, 3-13 NSIC) over the Cougars (6-16, 3-13 NSIC).
 
In the 10^th meeting between Bemidji State and Sioux Falls, the Beavers earn their first win in the series. BSU had its second-best shooting night of the season, shooting 26-for-50 (52.0) from the field, 7-for-18 (38.9) from deep, and 6-for-9 (66.7) from the free throw line.
     
Bemidji State got off to a hot start going on an 8-2 run to open up the game. Sam Pogatchnik made two early threes to give the Beavers their six-point lead. In the first quarter, the Beavers never trailed, holding their lead for 7:57 minutes. Alyssa Hill finished the quarter with seven points, with six coming in the paint. 
 
Madison Wuebben hit a triple in the first nine seconds of the second quarter to give USF its first lead of the game and Olivia Gamoke followed it up with a layup to extend the lead to three. The Cougars didn't hold that lead long with the Beavers answering with a 10-point run of their own with two Majewski three-pointers spanning 30 seconds apart. Both teams battled back and forth with the BSU lead ranging from five to seven for the rest of the half before taking the 33-28 lead at the break.
 
The second half took the teams nearly two minutes to register a point before Rachel Koenig made two from the free throw line. The Beaver lead was in danger after Megan Fannin from USF converted on a three to bring the Cougars to within one at 35-34. Majewski then caught fire sinking three-straight long balls over the span of three minutes to stretch the lead to eight at 46-38. After a few traded baskets, the Beavers were up six, 48-42, entering the final quarter.
 
Bemidji State was able to keep Sioux Falls at arm's length for most of the final quarter with its largest lead at nine with just over two minutes to play. The Cougars did not back down. First with a Dallie Hoskinson three-point play, followed by at Gamoke layup to cut their deficit to four. Pogatchnik went one of two at the line to put BSU up by five, but Brecli Honner made a fast three to bring the score to 63-61. Pogatchnik iced the game with two made free throws to give the Beavers their third NSIC victory at 65-61.  
    
A majority of the scoring was done by four student-athletes as they accounted for 61 of the team's 65 points. Hill led the crew with 17 points, going 8-for-14 from the field and made one of her three field goal attempts. One point behind was Yoder (16), who scored all her points on eight made baskets and only for the second time this season did not attempt a free throw. Majewski scored all her points from behind the arc going 5-for-8. The last student-athlete in double-figures was Pogatchnik tallying 13 points. Rachel Koenig and Brooke Theis added themselves to the score sheet with two points. Yoder fell one assist short of recording her second double-double of the season.
 
The Beavers out rebounded the Cougars 29-23 but were held to only three offensive boards. Hill led the way with eight, seven on the defensive glass. Yoder and Pogatchnik rounded out the top three with six and five, respectively. Yoder finished with four steals, one shy of 40 on the season. Koenig and Pogatchnik, the season leaders in blocks, both recorded one.  
 
The Beavers hit the road next week when they travel to North Dakota to face Minot State University and the University of Mary. BSU starts its weekend with the Battle of the Beavers at Minot State at 7:30 p.m., on Friday, followed by Mary on Saturday 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. 
  
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). 

--bsu--