CROOKSTON, Minn. – Bemidji State University Men's Basketball moves to 3-4 on the season and 0-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play after falling to the University of Minnesota Crookston 84-83 Friday evening. 
 
The Beavers started strong with a nine-point lead at the end of the first half, entering halftime at 49-40. Scoring fell short in the second when the Beavers were only able to add 34 points against the Golden Eagles' 44, giving UMC the one-point advantage to end the game. The Beavers had the lead with just over 45 seconds remaining, but a foul on Peyton Newbern to stop time and the Golden Eagles from scoring resulted in two made free throws from Christian Bowen-Webb and a UMC victory.
 
The Beavers were led in scoring by Daxton Dayley who tied his career high in points with 19. Dayley went six-for-eight in the field and two-for-four at the arc with five made free throws. Malang Athian followed Dayley with 18 points, marking seven made field goals and four free throws, plus seven rebounds and an assist. Rounding out the top three scorers for BSU was Tate Olson who earned a double double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, plus a team-high eight assists. Olson did not exit the game once and was on the court for all 40 minutes of play. 
 
As a team, the Beavers shot 49.2% from the field, landing 32 shots on 65 attempts. From the three-point arc, BSU's offense shot 27.3% and 61.9% from the free-throw line. BSU held the lead nine separate times with the score being tied four times. The team also held possession for over 24.5 minutes or 61.6% of the game. The Beavers' largest lead came with 19:34 left in the game, sitting at 51-40 with the 11-point lead. 
 
The Beavers now prepare for the first installment of the Battle of the Beavers, heading to Minot, N.D. Saturday afternoon to take on the No. 20 Minot State University Beavers. The game is available on the NSIC Network starting 15 minutes prior to tipoff at 5:15 p.m.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State Men's Basketball program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversMBB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and like them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversMBB).
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's 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).