DULUTH, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Men's Basketball team stayed right with Minnesota Duluth over the first 16 minutes of the game Saturday before the Bulldogs used a 20-8 run to close the half and never looked back in claiming the 90-71 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference win inside Romano Gym.
The first half featured eight ties in a very competitive opening half. BJ Davis opened the scoring 13 seconds in and the lead stretched to three at 5-2 on a long ball by Dalton Albrecht. John Sutherland hit back-to-back layups to push Bemidji State (10-10, 6-8 NSIC) out to the 22-18 lead near the midway point of the half.
Sutherland kept the Beavers in front a few minutes later with a dunk and then another three-pointer by Albrecht tied the game for the eighth time at 30. From that point on, Minnesota Duluth (15-5, 10-4 NSIC) took off outscoring BSU 20-8 over the final four minutes of the half to take the 50-38 lead at the break.
An Albrecht jumper two minutes into the second half kept the deficit at 12, but the Beavers weren't able to close the gap. UMD tallied a 16-7 run over the next six-plus minutes to push the lead out to 21. Sutherland put together a stretch of six straight points for the Beavers to cut the deficit back to 15, but the Bulldogs kept coming to claim the 19-point victory.
It was another strong game for Sutherland going for 26 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He went 12-15 from the field. Albrecht added 17 points and eight rebounds, going 6-9 from the field and 2-4 from three-point range. Davis added 10 points, four rebounds and three assists. Brayden Williams and Tate Olson chipped in six points apiece.
Bemidji State went 28-56 (50) from the field, 8-22 (36.4) from three and 7-13 (53.8) at the foul line. Minnesota Duluth went 34-62 (54.8) from the field, 13-24 (54.2) from three and 9-16 (56.3) at the foul line.
With results from around the NSIC this week, Minnesota State held off MSU Moorhead in a close battle on Saturday to move to 13-1. MSU Moorhead and Minot State are now tied for second at 11-3. Minnesota Duluth is fourth at 10-4. Southwest Minnesota State is in fifth at 9-5. Augustana and Sioux Falls are tied for sixth at 8-6. Winona State is eighth at 7-7 and Bemidji State is ninth at 6-8.
Bemidji State will close the road trip this coming Thursday at nationally-ranked Minot State starting at 7:30 p.m. BSU will then return home to host nationally-ranked MSU Moorhead on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m.
For more information on the Bemidji State Men's Basketball program, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversMBB). Like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and follow them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversMBB).
Nestled in Northern Minnesota's wooded region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, BSU 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).
