Men’s Basketball welcomes in UMD Thursday before trip to face SCSU Saturday

Bemidji State University men’s basketball plays host to the University of Minnesota Duluth Thursday, Dec. 2 followed by a road trip to St. Cloud State University Saturday, Dec. 4 to continue Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. The Beavers and Bulldogs tip-off at 5:30 p.m. from the BSU Gymnasium followed by a 2 p.m. start against the Huskies from Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud, Minn.

Minnesota Duluth leads the all-time series against Bemidji State, 95-48. The Beavers and Bulldogs last met Feb. 13, 2021, a 90-77 win by UMD in Bemidji. The Beavers took a 96-77 win the day prior as part of a season series split. Bemidji State has won two of the last three meetings. Bemidji State and Minnesota Duluth first met Feb. 21, 1931, a 28-26 win by BSU.

BSU went 1-2 over its last week of action, taking a 67-57 loss to the University of Minnesota Crookston before a 67-63 win over Eckerd College and a 67-64 loss to the University of Tampa at the Eckerd Thanksgiving Classic. The Beavers enter the weekend with a 3-2 record overall and 0-1 mark in conference play.

Against Minnesota Crookston, BSU shot a season-low 33.8 percent from the field and was outrebounded, 50-34. The Golden Eagles led by as many as 14 points early in the second half as the Beavers were able to cut the deficit to five points with 5:15 to play. BSU converted just one of its final six shots to finish the game.

Senior guard Gare Ewefada and sophomore forward John Sutherland were the only Beavers to score in double-figures, led by Sutherland with 16 points on 7-of-13. Sutherland was one rebounds shy of his first double-double while senior guard Travis Bianco scored nine points with five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

BSU went 35.3 percent from beyond the arc and 63.6 percent from the charity stripe against UMC.

The Beavers opened the Eckerd Thanksgiving Classic against the host school with a career-high 18 points from senior guard Tyler Behrendt. Bemidji State outscored Eckerd in both halves and combined for 11 3-pointers, including six from Behrendt.

Behrendt went 6-of-12 from the floor, all coming behind the 3-point line, and added four assists. Bianco recorded his second double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds, including three 3-point field goals. Senior forward Cody Landwehr scored a season-high 12 points followed by senior guard Mohamed Kone with 11.

BSU shot 41.2 percent from the floor, 47.8 percent from 3-point range and 70.0 percent from the free throw line, and won the rebound battle, 37-31.

Bemidji State led by as many as 15 points in the weekend-finale against Tampa before its second loss of the week. An 11-point Beavers with 8:38 to play disappeared as BSU went 1-of-10 from the field to finish the game. A 15-1 run propelled Tampa to the win.

Kone scored a season-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting and recorded his first double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. Sutherland was the only other Beaver with double-digit scoring at 10 points.