Bemidji State University men’s basketball and University of Minnesota Crookston close out the 2017-18 season series Saturday after UMC took the opening game Nov. 25, 83-57, in Crookston, Minn. The Beavers and Golden Eagles play at 4 p.m. at BSU Gymnasium in the 63rd all-time meeting between the programs.

Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston have met 62 times in the 95-year history, led all-time by the Beavers, 48-15. Since BSU’s last losing streak to UMC, the Beavers have gone 45-8 in the series. Bemidji State has also won 22 straight games in Bemidji, Minn., against Minnesota Crookston.

The Golden Eagles took the first game of the 2017-18 season series in Crookston to open the Beavers’ Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule. UMC doubled BSU up in the first half, 34-17, before also winning the second half by nine points. Sophomore guard Jai’Vionne Green led BSU with 18 points and 46.7 percent shooting from the field, despite the team shooting just 37.1 percent.

Turnovers hurt BSU in the first meeting of the season against UMC, as 14 giveaways led to 16 Golden Eagles points. The Beavers were only able to convert four points off seven Golden Eagles turnovers.

BSU split its previous weekend of games on the road, first dropping the weekend opener to No. 16 Northern State, 75-54, before taking its first win at MSU Moorhead, 82-81, since the 2009-10 season.

BSU trailed NSU by two points, 48-46, with 8:43 in the game before the Wolves went on a 22-4 run over the next seven minutes. The Beavers shot 40.0 percent from the field but went 14.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Freshman forward Derek Thompson led Bemidji State over MSU Moorhead Saturday with 20 points and converted the game-winning offensive put-back with one second remaining. The Beavers shot over 50 percent from the field and have now won all four games when shooting over the 50 percent mark.

Thompson averaged 14.0 points per game, which was second on BSU over the weekend, while shooting 59.1 percent from the field. His 20 points against MSUM set a career high, including 12 points scored in the second half of the final period.

Senior guard Sharif Black led the Beavers with 16.0 points per game, including 18 against the Dragons on 52.0 percent shooting from the field.