BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Women's Basketball team led after each of the first three quarters on Saturday afternoon before Wayne State saved their best for last outscoring the Beavers by 12 in the fourth quarter to claim the 58-51 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference win inside the BSU Gym.
Bemidji State (3-13, 0-12 NSIC) led by four after the first, by seven at the half and were still in front by five entering the final 10 minutes. That's when Wayne State (5-11, 2-11 NSIC) surged back into the game outscoring the Beavers 20-8 to comeback and claim the win.
Erin Barrette opened the scoring 27 seconds in before Wayne State responded with a 6-0 run. After Alyssa Hill and Amme Sheforgen answered with a pair of baskets to tie the game, the teams would tie two more times the rest of the opening quarter before two free throws by Alayna Suprenand and a layup by Ashlynne Guenther gave BSU the 14-10 lead after one.
Tieryn Plasch opened the second quarter with a bang drilling a three-pointer 12 seconds in. Hill made it a 9-0 run with a jumper a minute later to push the lead to 19-10. Hill and Ella Giorgi hit back-to-back layups to stretch the lead to 11 before the Wildcats trimmed a few points off the lead sending the Beavers into halftime with the 29-22 lead.
The teams played an even third quarter with Wayne State holding the slight 16-14 edge. Wayne State had the lead down to four on a couple of occasions, while the Beavers pushed the lead out to as much as eight on a jumper by Guenther at the 3:45 mark. WSC outscored BSU by three the rest of the quarter to leave Bemidji State with the 43-38 lead.
Wayne State scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to regain the lead at 44-43. Bemidji State answered with Sheforgen hitting two from the line and then a jumper to send the Beavers to the 47-44 advantage.
The next six points went to the Wildcats to push WSC to the 50-47 lead with just three minutes to play. Trailing by four, Hill converted a big three-point-play off an assist by Guenther to trim the deficit to one with two minutes to play.
Wayne State answered hitting two from the line and then after forcing a Beaver miss, they converted two more from the line to take the 56-51 lead with a minute to play. The Beavers weren't able to cut into the deficit as a turnover and a string of missed layups sealed the 58-51 win for Wayne State.
Hill was close to a double-double with 14 points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes. She went 6-12 from the field. Sheforgen tallied 13 points and six assists. Suprenand added eight points, with Barrette collecting seven points.
Bemidji State went 20-55 (36.4) from the field, 4-20 (20) from three and 7-8 (87.5) at the foul line. Wayne State went 18-43 (41.9) from the field, 1-6 (16.7) from three and 21-30 (70) at the foul line. BSU held the 9-8 edge in points off turnovers, 5-4 advantage on second chance points and were 17-4 on bench points.
The Beavers will now hit the road playing at Concordia-St. Paul this coming Friday at 5:30 p.m. and will then close the week at Minnesota Duluth on Saturday afternoon beginning at 3:30 p.m.
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).
