BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Women's Basketball team surged back with a 17-point fourth quarter to take a three-point lead. Winona State hit a layup and two free throws with five seconds left to defeat the Beavers 44-43 on Saturday night in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play inside the BSU Gym.
Bemidji State (3-11, 0-10 NSIC) trailed by as many as seven points in the third quarter and after fighting back, still trailed by six entering the final 10 minutes.
After Amme Sheforgen tallied a layup to open the fourth, Isabel Majewski took over sinking a triple and then hitting a layup to push the Beavers in front at 33-32 with 6:12 to play.
Winona State (5-10, 4-6 NSIC) then answered to pull ahead by three points a couple of times, including with 3:51 to play at 40-37. Sheforgen then had the answer from long range this time hitting a three-pointer to tie the game at 40.
After neither team scored for the next few minutes, Majewski dialed long distance again with just under a minute to play to push BSU to the 43-40 lead. Out of a timeout, Winona State missed a layup, but then the Beavers turned it over with 26 seconds left. The Warriors turned that turnover into a layup to trim the lead to one with 16 seconds left.
Needing to trap to force a steal or foul, Winona State put the pressure on and forced another turnover. The Warriors pushed with no timeouts left and Emma Carpenter drove to the lane and drew a foul with 5.7 to play. She would hit both foul shots to push Winona State to the 44-43 lead. Bemidji State had to go the length of the floor without a timeout but were unable to get a shot off sending the Warriors to the one-point win.
Bemidji State held a four-point lead late in the first quarter with Tieryn Plasch hitting a jumper and then a three-pointer by Sam Pogatchnik pushed the lead to 10-6. Winona State closed the quarter on a 5-0 run to take the 11-10 lead.
Alayna Suprenand stretched the lead to five with a three-pointer at the 3:49 mark of the second quarter for the 20-15 lead. Just like the end of the first quarter, Winona State closed the first half on a 5-1 run to leave Bemidji State with the 21-20 lead at halftime.
It was all Warriors over the first nearly four minutes of the third quarter reeling off an 8-0 run to take the 28-21 lead.
Alyssa Hill and Suprenand answered with the next five points to trim the deficit to two. Winona State closed the third quarter on a 4-0 run to take the 32-26 into the final quarter.
Sheforgen, Suprenand and Majewski all tallied eight points. Sheforgen added four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Pogatchnik had six points and eight rebounds, along with four assists. Hill added six points and five rebounds.
Bemidji State went 16-55 (29.1) from the field, 8-26 (30.8) from three and 3-4 (75) at the foul line. Winona State went 18-52 (34.6) from the field, 0-15 (0) from three and 8-11 (72.7) at the foul line. It was the first time this season the Beavers limited a team to no three-pointers and the fourth time holding a team to one or zero three-pointers this season. Bemidji State held the 15-12 edge in points off turnovers and 18-3 in bench points.
The Beavers will continue the homestand this Friday, Jan. 19 against Augustana starting at 5:30 p.m. BSU will close the weekend hosting Wayne State on Saturday, Jan. 20 beginning at 3:30 p.m. Augustana lost at Northern State, 65-49, on Saturday, while Wayne State fell at UMary, 73-40, on Saturday.
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).
