Thompson leads all scorers as Beavers fall to No. 13 Bulldogs

Senior Derek Thompson led all scorers with 26 points Thursday night as Bemidji State University men’s basketball fell to No. 13 University of Minnesota Duluth, 88-73, in Duluth, Minn. Thompson sank 10-of-14 shots from the field as the Beavers fall to 7-17 overall and 4-16 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the Bulldogs improve to 22-4 and 15-4 in the NSIC.

Thompson was one rebound shy of a double-double and added two blocks and two assists. Senior Travis Bianco followed in scoring with 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting with seven rebounds and one assist. Sophomore John Sutherland recorded his second double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Bemidji State and Minnesota Duluth traded off baskets over the first six scores of the game until Bianco put in a layup for BSU’s only lead of the game, 8-6. UMD followed with a 16-0 run shooting 6-of-7 from the floor to take a 22-8 lead with 13:13 in the first half. The Beavers shot 0-of-4 with three turnovers given away during the three-minute span.

Bianco snapped the UMD streak with his first 3-pointer of the game before the Bulldogs went on a 10-0 run to take a first-half-high lead of 21 points, 34-13. An and-one conversion from Thompson ended the UMD scoring run and began a 9-0 run for BSU to bring the deficit to 11 points.

After trailing at halftime, 48-37, Sutherland scored the first three points of the second half to bring UMD’s lead to single digits. The Bulldogs again answered the Beavers’ attack with a 14-3 run, converting 7-of-9 field goals to take an 18-point, 64-46 lead. BSU put in four of its next seven shots as part of a 10-3 run to draw within 11 points again before the 10-minute media timeout.

Thompson’s final basket of the night, a 3-pointer assisted by senior guard Mohamed Kone, brought BSU within 10 points, 81-71, for its closest deficit through the remainder of the game.

Bemidji State returns home to close the regular season with senior day at 4 p.m. Saturday against St. Cloud State University.