The Bemidji State University women’s basketball team fell to University of Mary 78-63 Friday in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference contest at BSU Gymnasium. Junior center Kate Warmack (East Grand Forks, Minn.) posted a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds and denied the Marauders shooters with four blocks. The Beavers fall to 5-3 overall (1-3 NSIC) while the Marauders improve to 6-3 overall (2-2 NSIC).

BSU shot 39.6 percent from the field (21-for-53) and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (6-for-18), but couldn’t match the strong offensive attack from the Marauders that included McKenzie Foster who scored all 24 of her points in the first half. Turnovers remained the Beavers’ Achilles heel and committed 25 allowing U-Mary to gain 26 points off turnovers. The Marauders shot 40.4 percent (23-for-57), but found the range from long distance and shot 45.5 percent (10-of-22).

It didn’t take long for the Marauders to shut down the Beavers and started the first four minutes with an 11-3 run. After head coach Mike Curfman called a timeout to adjust, BSU quickly made a comeback and took the lead 17-16 with 11 minutes remaining in the first half. That would be the only time the Beavers saw themselves on top of the scoreboard because the Marauders answered back with a 16-7 run in the next six minutes and the Beavers fell behind 32-24. After a pair of free throws by junior Morgan Lee (G, Hayward, Wis.) the Marauders lead was cut to six but U-Mary denied the Beavers any chance at closing the lead at halftime by holding the Beavers scoreless for five minutes until Warmack found the bottom of the net with 39 seconds remaining. The Marauders closed out the first half on a 21-3 run and took a large 53-29 lead into the locker room.

The first half statistics were heavily in favor of U-Mary with the Marauders leading in field goal percentage with 53.1 percent (17-for-32) and 3-point percentage with 58.8 percent (10-of-17) against the Beavers 34.8 percent (8-of-23) and 42.9 percent (3-for-7) from long distance. The Beavers committed 16 turnovers during the half versus the Marauders’ eight. Guard Lanae Rash (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis.) lead BSU in scoring with seven while Warmack picked up five points and four rebounds. Marauder McKenzie Foster shot lights out from long distance, going 8-of-11 from beyond the arc to lead the Marauders in scoring.

Bemidji State came out of halftime looking to enact some revenge on the Marauders, that didn’t allow a Beaver basket in five minutes in the first half, by holding U-Mary to their own scoring drought. The Beavers newly found defensive effort held U-Mary to a scoreless opening seven minutes and a Beaver 16-0 run that cut the lead to single digits at 53-45. However, the Beavers couldn’t sustain such high intensity defense and fell short of a comeback and ended the game trading baskets with the Marauders and lost 78-63.

Warmack scored 13 of her 18 points in the second half and also grabbed six of her 10 rebounds. Rash was the next leading scorer for the Beavers with 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field while also grabbing six boards. Lee contributed 11 points and knocked down three from long distance and junior Jessie Althoff (F, Becker, Minn.) added nine points and two steals in 29 minutes on the night. The Beavers defense managed to hold Foster scoreless in the second half on 0-for-2 shooting. Marauder Ali Collins picked up where Foster was lacking in the second half and added 19 points with seven steals, five assists and four rebounds.

Bemidji State looks to rebound against Minot State University which is 4-2 overall (2-2 NSIC) Saturday at 4 p.m. at the BSU Gymnasium.