Bemidji State brings in Minnesota Crookston Jan. 2 to close season series

Bemidji State University women’s basketball closes its season series against the University of Minnesota Crookston at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022 at BSU Gymnasium. The Beavers are hosting Youth Day against the Golden Eagles as all kids grades K-12 enter the game free of charge.

Bemidji State leads the all-time series against Minnesota Crookston, 27-22. BSU won the first game of the 2021-22 season series, 86-80, on Nov. 23 in Crookston, Minn., its fifth straight win in the series. With a win Sunday, BSU’s six-game winning streak against UMC will be the longest such streak in the series. The Beavers knocked down 12 3-pointers, a season-high at the time, and sank 35 points as a team in the fourth quarter.

Junior guard Maddie Schires put in five 3-pointers and 17 points, both season-highs, while she scored 11 points in the fourth quarter. Sophomore center Rachael Heittola led BSU with 22 points, notching her third 20-point game of the season. Senior guard Trinity Yoder recorded her third career double-double with 15 points and 10 assists.

Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston first met Jan. 6, 1996, a 101-56 win by the Beavers in Bemidji.

BSU enters the game with five straight wins against UMC, its longest winning streak in the series since winning five straight from 2006-08. With a win, the Beavers will tie its longest winning streak of the series.

Bemidji State most recently split a road weekend at the University of Mary on Dec. 17, 2021 and at Minot State University on Dec. 18, 2021. BSU opened its weekend with a 70-67 loss to UMary before closing with a 73-62 win.

UMary jumped ahead to a 21-6 lead after the first quarter after a cold spell from Bemidji State. The Beavers connected on just one field goal through the opening 10 minutes.Despite the slow start and trailing by as many as 20 points, Bemidji State fought back to outscore UMary in each of the next three quarters. BSU tied the game, 62-62, before free throws sealed the win for the Marauders.

Bemidji State shot 45.0 percent from the field (27-60), 30.0 percent from 3-point range (6-20) and 53.8 percent from the free throw line (7-13). UMary won the rebound margin, 37-32, and outscored BSU in second-chance points, 11-0.

Sophomore center Rachael Heittola led BSU in scoring with her fifth 20-point game of the season, ending with 23 on 9-of-16 shooting. She scored 16 of her 23 points over the final 12:46 of the game and added seven rebounds and five assists. Junior forward Taylor Vold scored a season-high 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting while senior guard Trinity Yoder totaled 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Bemidji State faced another deficit after the first quarter of the weekend finale against Minot State before sinking a season-high 14 3-pointers in the comeback win. BSU outscored MiSU, 24-14, in the second quarter to take control of the game. Junior guard Coley Rezabek sparked BSU’s comeback with five straight points to begin the second quarter. Bemidji State held off a Minot State comeback while going 11-of-13 from the free throw line to finish the game.

Bemidji State limited Minot State to just two 3-pointers but allowed the Beavers of MiSU to win points off turnovers, 22-12, points in the paint, 32-14, and second-chance points, 11-6.

Heittola and junior guard Maddie Schires led BSU with 17 points each, including six fourth-quarter points by Heittola. Heittola added 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season while Schires hit 5-of-7 3-pointers.