MINOT, N.D. – The Bemidji State University Men's Basketball team stayed right with No. 19 Minot State on the road before MSU held on for the 62-58 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victory Thursday night inside the MSU Dome.
Bemidji State (10-11, 6-9 NSIC) trailed by nine a couple of times in the second half but made a push to pull to within one on three different occasions down the stretch. Still down nine at 55-46 with 11:01 to play in the game, BSU made a run to get right back into it.
A jumper by Dalton Albrecht started an 8-0 run. Albrecht scored the first six points of the run before Tate Olson closed the spurt with a layup to pull BSU to within one at 55-54. After Minot State (17-4, 12-3 NSIC) went back in front by three, another Albrecht jumper trimmed the deficit to one with three minutes to play. Minot State answered to push back in front by three, just to watch Olson hit a layup with 2:36 to play leaving MSU ahead by just one at 59-58.
Bemidji State had a chance to take the lead after forcing a turnover, but a missed three kept the deficit at one. A pair of foul shots by Minot State stretched the lead back to three with 1:49 to play. After another missed three kept the deficit at three, the defense forced another Minot State turnover. BSU went for three again but weren't able to connect with the clock now under a minute to play.
A foul by BSU sent Minot State to the line for the one-and-one bonus and a missed free throw kept the deficit at three. Bemidji State went for a layup that was missed, but BSU regained control and went for a three-pointer that was blocked. Forced to foul with 15 seconds to play, Minot State hit one of two from the line to survive with the 62-58 victory.
Early in the first half with the game tied at 16, Bemidji State broke the game open with a 9-0 run. Albrecht, Brayden Williams, a three-pointer by Johnny Tennyson and then another layup by Albrecht had BSU holding the 25-16 lead.
Minot State closed the first half on a 21-7 run to take the 37-32 lead into halftime.
Albrecht led all-scorers with 23 points and added seven rebounds. He went 9-18 from the field and 2-4 from three. Willims, Olson and BJ Davis all tallied eight points. Olson was close to a double-double with 11 rebounds.
Bemidji State went 24-64 (37.5) from the field, 5-25 (20) from three and 5-6 (83.3) at the foul line. Minot State went 23-53 (43.4) from the field, 12-26 (46.2) from three and 4-9 (44.4) at the foul line. BSU held a big advantage in points in the paint (38-16) and a slight edge in second chance points (6-5).
Bemidji State will now return home to host No. 12/9 MSU Moorhead this Saturday starting at 3 p.m. inside the BSU Gym.
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).
