The Bemidji State University women’s basketball program opens the 2018 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament at 6 p.m. Wednesday with a road trip against No. 10 Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D. The number eight seed Beavers will face off against the number one seed Vikings for the second time this season while beginning post-season action.
Augustana leads the young series against Bemidji State, 14-2, that first began Dec. 10, 1983. After a 77-72 Beavers’ victory in overtime to begin the series, the Vikings have won 15 of the last 16 and six straight. Augie used a stingy defense to force 26 BSU turnovers in the first matchup of the 2017-18 season, an 87-50 win by the Vikings in Bemidji, Minn.
Senior center Sierra Senske and sophomore guard McKayla Scheuer each led BSU with seven points off the bench. Scheuer scored all seven points in the fourth quarter, coming off two 3-pointers and a free throw. Freshman forward Gabby DuBois set a career-high nine rebounds and three assists in the game.
Bemidji State ended the 2017-18 regular season with a sweep on the road to University of Mary, 76-51, and Minot State, 71-51. The losses placed the Beavers in the number eight seed in the NSIC North Division, which places a road game to start the NSIC Tournament against number one seed in the NSIC South Division, Augustana.
The Beavers came alive in the fourth quarter of Friday’s game against the Marauders, but a 63-31 deficit heading into the final period was too much to overcome. BSU shot 30.6 percent from the floor, 28.0 percent from beyond the arc and 50.0 percent from the free throw line, and totaled 26 points off the bench.
Freshman guard Brooklyn Bachmann led BSU in scoring for the 13th time this season with 15 points and came one rebound shy of a double-double, her third game this season with nine rebounds and double-digit points. Sophomore guard Erica Gartner ranked second on the team with nine points on the night, all coming by way of the long ball, while coming off the bench.
Bemidji State and Minot State each scored 32 points between the first and third quarters, but MiSU doubled up BSU in the second and fourth quarters to come away with the win on the final day of the regular season. BSU shot 35.1 percent from the floor, 12.5 percent from long range and 87.5 percent from the charity stripe.
Gartner tied a career high with 18 points on 7-of-18 shooting and sank four 3-pointers. Senske and freshman guard Maria Appicelli each followed with nine points off the bench.
Bemidji State’s scoring defense ranks 14th in the conference at 69.5 points allowed per game while its scoring offense ranks 15th with 54.8 points per game. The Beavers rank 11th in field goal defense with 40.4 percent allowed and seventh in 3-point field goal defense with 30.7 percent allowed.
Bachmann leads BSU and ranks 13th in the NSIC in scoring with 13.0 points per game. Her scoring average per contest is the highest among all freshman in the NSIC. She has scored at least 20 points in six games this season.
Augustana locked up the number one seed in the NSIC South Division after a split during the last weekend of games. Augie opened with a 71-67 loss at Winona State University before taking a 71-45 win at Upper Iowa. The win helped the Vikings secure a share of the 2017-18 regular season NSIC Championship for the first time in program history.
Listen to the first round NSIC Playoff game on Talk Radio 1360 and online at beaverradionetwork.com.