Women’s Basketball begins interdivisional play versus WSU, UIU Game Cancelled

Bemidji State University welcomes in Winona State University to BSU Gymnasium on Jan. 7. The Beavers begin action Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the Warriors. The game with Upper Iowa for Saturday has been cancelled due to Covid issues within the Upper Iowa women’s program.

All youth up to 18 years old are free of cost all basketball games this weekend at BSU.

Bemidji State leads the all-time series against Winona State, 44-37. The Beavers and Warriors last met Jan. 18, 2020, a 76-67 win by WSU in Winona, Minn. WSU has won nine of the last 10 games in the series.

When playing in Bemidji since 1984, BSU trails WSU, 17-15, in the series. Bemidji State and Winona State first met in 1973, a 41-37 win by Bemidji State.

BSU completed a season sweep over the University of Minnesota Crookston on Jan. 2 with a 70-48 victory at home. The Beavers knocked off the Golden Eagles for the sixth straight time, matching the longest winning streak for either team in the series, and have now won five of their last six games this season.

Following a 10-8 deficit after the first quarter, the Beavers bounced back to outscore the Golden Eagles, 62-38, over the next three quarters. Junior guard Coley Rezabek helped kick-start BSU’s offensive production in the second quarter with BSU’s first eight points of the period. She scored 13 points in the second quarter to guide BSU to a 30-21 lead at halftime. Bemidji State pulled away in the third quarter while shooting 8-of-12 from the field and taking away seven Minnesota Crookston turnovers in the period.

Bemidji State limited Minnesota Crookston to four or fewer field goals in three of four quarters while the Golden Eagles shot just 37.2 percent from the field (16-43) during the game. The Beavers knocked down 48.3 percent of its field goals (28-58) and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc (10-25). BSU recorded 16 points off 20 UMC turnovers and won the battle in the paint, 34-18.

Rezabek finished the game shooting 8-of-12 from the field with three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Her 20 points led BSU and was the first time she recorded at least 20 points in a game. Senior guard Trinity Yoder followed Rezabek in scoring with 16 points and added seven assists, four rebounds and four steals. Senior guard Brooklyn Bachmann led BSU with six rebounds and dished out five assists.

Yoder ranks 15th in the country with 62 total assists and 22nd with 5.2 assists per game.

Junior guard Maddie Schires ranks 21st in the nation shooting 45.3 percent from beyond the arc.

BSU is one of the country’s best 3-point shooting teams, ranking 15th with 103 total 3-point field goals and 16th with 8.6 3-point field goals per game and a 36.7 3-point field goal percent.