Women’s Basketball to host St. Cloud State in final home weekend, senior day

Bemidji State University women’s basketball welcomes in St. Cloud State University for its final home weekend of the 2020-21 season Feb. 5-6 at BSU Gymnasium. The Beavers (7-1, 6-0 NSIC) are seeking their longest winning streak for the program since the 1986-87 season while saying farewell to three seniors, first at 6 p.m. Friday and 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

St. Cloud State leads the all-time series against Bemidji State, 43-18. BSU won the most recent meeting against SCSU, 65-62, on Feb. 21, 2020.

Sophomore center Rachael Heittola averaged 17.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game last season versus SCSU, including a 23-point, 11-rebound double-double in BSU’s win. Junior guard Trinity Myer averaged 11.0 points and 4.5 assists per game in 2019-20 versus SCSU.

The series began in 1969, a win by Bemidji State.

BSU’s seven-game winning streak is the longest for the program since the Beavers won eight straight during the 1987-88 season. Bemidji State’s conference winning streak is also the longest since that 1987-88 season streak when BSU was a part of the Northern Sun Conference.

The Beavers received votes in the Feb. 1, 2021 D2SIDA Central Region Poll, the first votes received for the program since the poll was created in 2014-15.

Bemidji State sank double-digit 3-pointers in back-to-back weekends, this time setting a new season-high with 14 during Friday’s win. BSU went 14-of-23 from beyond the arc, one shy of the program single-game record set against Minot State during the 2019-20 season, and 15-of-19 from the free throw line. BSU held MiSU to 36.4 percent shooting overall and 2-of-9 from the 3-point line. Bemidji State allowed Minot State to score 11 points off turnovers in the first half before giving the ball away just four times in the second and limiting MiSU to 25 total points over the final two quarters.

The Beavers have shot over 41% from the field in every game this season and held their opponent to less than 40 percent shooting in all but two games. BSU ranks 14th in the nation and second in the NSIC shooting 46.0 percent from the field this season and ranks 33rd in the nation and fourth in the conference with a 36.5 percent field goal defense.

Sophomore center Rachael Heittola led BSU with 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game over the weekend while shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line. She recorded her fourth career double-double in Saturday’s win with 25 points and 10 rebounds, including 15 points in the first half.

Senior forward Gabby Dubois and junior forward Taylor Vold averaged 10.5 points per game over the weekend. Vold tallied a career-high 18 points with five 3-pointers and added three rebounds in Friday’s win. Dubois scored a season-high 14 points with three 3-pointers and six rebounds on Saturday.

Senior center Taylor Bray and junior guard Trinity Myer each averaged 9.0 points. Bray scored 12 points with four rebounds and one block on Saturday while Myer scored 10 points with six rebounds and one assist on Friday. Senior guard Brooklyn Bachmann tallied nine points, eight rebounds, five assists and one steal in Friday’s win.

BSU ranks sixth in the NSIC with 71.2 points per game and fourth with 62.0 points allowed per game. Bemidji State also ranks 18th in the nation and second in the conference with a 24.8 percent 3-point field goal defense and fourth in the NSIC shooting 35.4 percent from outside the 3-point line.

Listen to the games this weekend on Talk Radio 106.3 and online at beaverradionetwork.com.