Beavers look to continue strong play for final weekend at BSU Gymnasium
BSU Women’s Basketball hosts Sioux Falls and SMSU for final home weekend
Winners of three of its last four, the Bemidji State University Women’s Basketball team looks to continue its strong play this weekend for its final home games of the season. The Beavers host University of Sioux Falls Friday, Feb. 16 and then Southwest Minnesota State University Saturday at the BSU Gymnasium.
The Beavers (6-16, 3-15 NSIC) Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament hopes remain alive as they sit 14th in the standings and trail 11th, 12th and 13th by just two games. 12 teams qualify for the first round of the conference postseason tournament with seeds five through eight hosting the first round.
Bemidji State opens the weekend’s action hosting Sioux Falls at 5:30 p.m. The Cougars currently sit 11th in the standings with a 5-13 league record and just two games in front of the Beavers. BSU and USF met earlier this season just over a month ago in Sioux Falls, S.D., with the Cougars (7-15, 5-13 NSIC) earning a low-scoring 48-34 victory.
Senior Sam Pogatchnik led Bemidji State with 12 points in the game shooting 3-for-7 from the field, 1-for-4 from three, and 5-for-7 from the free-throw line. Redshirt freshman Alayna Suprenand came off the bench to score eight points and collected eight boards.
The Beavers are 1-10 all-time against the Cougars dating back to their first meeting in 2013. The Beavers’ lone win against USF came last season with a 65-61 victory in Bemidji.
Bemidji State then host the Mustangs (15-9, 13-5 NSIC) Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., and will honor its three seniors Pogatchnik, Isabel Majewski and Amme Sheforgen during halftime time of the men’s game.
The Beavers and Mustangs also met earlier this season on Jan. 5 with SMSU earning a 14-point victory, 72-86. Sophomore Alyssa Hill led the Beavers with 16 points on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting from the field while Pogatchnik (15), Sheforgen (12) and Erin Barrette (11) all reached double-digits in points.
BSU and SMSU have met for 78 prior meetings with the Mustangs owning a 45-33 advantage in the all-time series. The Beavers have lost two in-a-row versus SMSU and last won Jan. 22, 2022, 70-67, in Marshall, Minn. The Beavers last victory at home versus SMSU was Jan. 14, 2017.
Fans can watch the Beavers take on the Cougars and Mustangs at www.NSICNetwork.com/bsubeavers with Kevin Reid of the Beaver Radio Network providing play-by-play. You can also listen to his broadcast on the radio dial at 106.3 FM or online at www.beaverradionetwork.com.
Bemidji State is led by Hill who is averaging 13.1 points per game, shooting 51.5 percent from the field and averages 4.8 rebounds per game. Pogatchnik follows with an 8.3 ppg scoring average and leads the team averaging 2.3 assists per game.