BEMIDJI, MINN. – The Bemidji State University Men's Basketball team advanced to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference quarterfinal for the first time in 10 years after defeating Augustana University 92-88 Wednesday night at the BSU Gymnasium. John Sutherland scored a career-high 28 points while shooting 12-for-15 (80.0%) from the floor, 1-for-1 from deep and 3-for-5 from the free throw line. 
 
The Beavers advance to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., for the first time since the 2018-19 season when they defeated Minnesota State University, Mankato 66-56. 
 
BSU tallied its 19^th win of the season to improve to 19-10 on the season, the most wins Head Coach Mike Boschee has had while coaching the Beavers. 19 wins is the fifth time in program history the team has reached the 19-win plateau, trailing only the 2011-12 season with 22 wins and 2003-04 with 20 wins.
 
The Beavers and Vikings (15-14) traded baskets to start the game with RJ Smith giving BSU its first lead connecting on his first three of the night nearly two minutes in for the 5-4 advantage. Bemidji State hit a dry spell allowing Augustana to go on a 10-point run to go up nine. Smith broke the Beavers' silence with a jumper in the paint at the 15:29 mark to leave the deficit at 14-7. Three minutes after the nine-point lead for Augustana, the Beavers were able to level the score at 16 when Sutherland made a layup at the 12:00 mark. After not seeing the lead for nine minutes, Smith knocked down another three to put Bemidji State up three at 24-21 near the midway point of the half. Dalton Albrecht extended the lead to six when he made a triple with over six minutes to play. The lead bounced back and forth with Johnny Tennyson sending the Beavers with a lead into halftime when he sunk a corner three at the buzzer for the 49-47 advantage. 
 
Two student-athletes for BSU finished the first half perfect with Smith going 3-for-3 from the field with two threes and Brayden Williams made three triples in the first half. The Beavers shot 16-for-26 (61.5%) from the field, 8-for-15 (53.3%) from three-point land and 9-for-11 from the charity stripe. 
 
Bemidji State came out of the half building on Tennyson's three by putting together five unanswered points to go up by seven. Sutherland converted a three-point play and then Williams added a layup for the 54-47 lead. Augustana began to knock down threes, with Jadan Graves and Ryan Miller erasing the Beaver lead. Isaac Fink gave the Vikings the lead with another AU three-pointer to pull ahead at 62-61 nearly five minutes into the second half. BSU answered back with a seven-point run, five coming from Smith who was still perfect from the field at this point in the game, as he converted a long ball and layup for the 68-62 lead. The lead grew to nine, 73-64, the largest for Bemidji State after Mohamed Kone converted on a jumper near the midway point of the half. Fink made his second three-pointer to bring the Vikings within four in the final six minutes of play and Akoi Akio pulled AU with in three two possessions later. Both teams kept trading blows with Augustana down three in the final minute. Kone made a pair of free throws to go up seven with 20 seconds left, but AU went down the court and completed a three-point play to bring it within four. Tennyson went 1-for-2 at the line and Graves brought the game to 90-88 with his seventh made three of the game. Jayce Lowman attempted one shot in the game and was sent to line with five seconds left in the game where he made both free throws to give BSU a two-possession lead. On the final shot of the game, Kone stuffed Graves from behind the arc to advance the Beavers to the quarterfinals.
  
Sutherland scored a career-high 28 points in the win, as he went 12-for-15 (80.0%) from the field, made his one three-pointer and went 3-for-4 at the line. Smith recorded 18 points in the victory and didn't miss a shot until there was only six minutes left in the game. Kone did his damage at the line making 10 free throws to contribute to his 16 points. All five starters reached double figures with Albrecht and Williams joining in with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
 
The Beavers out manned the Vikings on the boards snagging 10 more than AU at 31-21. Sutherland fell one rebound short of recording his 10^th double-double of the season with nine. Kone was right behind him with eight, three coming on the offensive glass. Smith also had three offensive rebounds and tallied six boards on the game. Kone swatted two shots, one being the last shot of the game. Smith and Brayden joined in on the block party with one each.
        
Bemidji State continues on in the tournament to the quarterfinals at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., as they will take on Wayne State College at 1:30 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 25. The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m., but was moved up with some other games being moved due to weather and travel.
 
   
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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