BEMIDJI, Minn. – After erasing a 12-point halftime deficit, the Bemidji State University Women's Basketball team came back to hold a fourth quarter lead before Minnesota Crookston was able to escape with a late layup with just 0.2 to play to defeat the Beavers 73-70 Saturday night in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play inside the BSU Gym.
Minnesota Crookston (5-4, 2-1 NSIC) closed the first 20 minutes holding the 41-29 lead. Then the big third quarter happened with Bemidji State (2-3, 0-2 NSIC) surging back outscoring the Golden Eagles 23-10 to take a lead to the final frame.
Still trailing by eight midway through the third quarter, a layup by Sydney White helped spark a 6-0 run. It was a career-high night for White who scored 20 points on 6-12 shooting, along with three rebounds. After opening the run with a layup, White added a jumper before Alyssa Hill capped the run with a layup. Amme Sheforgen brought the Beavers all the way back when she hit a layup and then added a three-pointer at the 2:12 mark to push Bemidji State ahead at 52-50.
That momentum carried into the fourth quarter when Alayna Suprenand dialed long distance a minute in to push the lead to four. After Minnesota Crookston went on a 7-0 run to take a three-point lead, the teams would trade the lead six times down the stretch.
Bemidji State held a couple of two-point leads at 63-61 on a jumper by Hill and then at 66-64 with 3:12 to play on a layup by White that she turned into a three-point-play. The Golden Eagles surged back getting a trio of layups to take the 70-66 lead with 1:43 to play.
After Rachel Koenig hit one of two from the line to cut the deficit to three, a big defensive stop gave the Beavers the ball back with a chance to tie with 27 seconds to play. Out of the timeout, BSU went to Suprenand who hit the three off the wing on a pass by Erin Barrette to tie the game at 70 with 24 seconds to play.
Then a crazy sequence finished the final seconds. Minnesota Crookston didn't call timeout and brought the ball up. Emma Miller tried to create space for a winning three, but the shot missed with four seconds to play. On the rebound, the ball ended up in the hands of UMC's Olivia Walsh who buried the layup while getting fouled to push the Golden Eagles in front with just 0.2 to play. Walsh converted the free throw to provide the final margin of 73-70.
Bemidji State came out strong holding the 18-12 lead in the first quarter at one point and eventually taking the 18-14 lead into the second frame.
Minnesota Crookston then responded with their biggest quarter of the night outscoring the Beavers 27-11 in the second to take the 41-29 lead into halftime.
Outside of the career night for White, Suprenand and Hill added 13 points apiece. Hill grabbed seven rebounds. Barette and Sheforgen each had seven points apiece. Bemidji State went 26-64 (40.6) from the field, 4-14 (28.6) from three and 14-28 (50) at the foul line. Minnesota Crookston went 31-64 (48.4) from the field, 4-13 (30.8) from three and 7-15 (46.7) at the foul line. The Beavers held one of the top scoring guards in Miller in check to just eight points on 4-16 shooting.
Through the first few games of the NSIC season, there are four teams currently 2-0 in conference action. Bemidji State will see one of those teams this coming week. BSU will play at MSU Moorhead this coming Friday at 7:30 p.m. and then will close the trip facing Northern State on Saturday at 6 p.m. Northern State is off to a 6-2 overall start and 2-0 mark in NSIC play.
For more information on the Bemidji State Women's basketball program, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversWBB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and follow them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversWBB).
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).
