Friday Night vs Augustana

The Bemidji State University men’s basketball team rebounded from an 0-2 road weekend Jan. 4-5 with a compete team effort and downed Augustana College 69-67 in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference contest Friday at the BSU Gymnasium. The Beavers got production from up and down the bench to improve to 7-5 overall and 5-3 in NSIC play.

The Beavers (7-5; 5-3 NSIC, 4-3 NSIC North) and Vikings (9-3; 5-3 NSIC, 5-2 NSIC South) were tied nine times, while the lead changed seven times and the largest lead by either team was eight. Defense has been the thrust of the success by the Beavers this season and that was no different Friday. BSU created 20 Augie turnovers and posted 13 steals – a conference high for BSU this season. The Beavers turned the AC miscues into 20 points, dominated the paint 30-22 and scored 10 more bench points (24-14) than the visiting team.

The Beaver bench was energized by junior Michael Farrington (G, Milwaukee, Wis.). He totaled 11 points on an efficient 5-for-8 (62.5%) shooting from the field. He also posted a season-high five steals. BSU also got a solid defensive effort from junior Maxie Rosenbloom (F, St. Paul, Minn.). In 22 minutes off the bench he brought in seven rebounds and added two key blocks to tie a career-best in both categories. Two of those rebounds came on the offensive end to increase his offensive boards to 23 this season, a 1.92 per game average that ranks 13th in the NSIC in offensive rebounds.

Senior leadership played a big role in the win as well. Senior Mason Walters (F, Milton, Wis.) scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and totaled 10 rebounds to record his fourth double-double of the season. Entering the game, he ranked 68th in the nation in double-doubles. He went 6-for-13 (46.2%) from the field and added two steals. Senior guard Dermaine Crockrell (Mesa, Ariz.) matched Walters’ 14 points and added a team-best five assists. Senior Lance Rongstad (G/F, Eleva, Wis.) only scored seven points, but tallied all of them in the last six minutes of the game. He went 4-for-4 from the line and knocked down a cold-blooded 3-pointer with 2:29 remaining to break 61-61 tie and give the Beavers the lead for good.

The two squads traded buckets to a 12-12 tie 10:45 into the first half until an Augustana 3-pointer handed it a 15-12 advantage. BSU responded with an 8-0 run to take a five-point lead and own the largest lead by either team in the first frame. The Vikings fired back and during 2:06 of game time flipped the deficit into a lead at 23-22 with 2:39 remaining in the opening 20 minutes.

The Vikings pushed the lead to three at 25-22 with 2:15 left before taking a 30-27 lead into halftime. Coming into the game, BSU was 0-4 in 2012-13 when trailing at the break. Leading scorers for BSU at halftime were Farrington and senior Sean Jones (F, Seattle, Wash.), who came off the bench to pour in eight points each. Jones was 2-for-4 from the field, 1-for-2 from beyond the arc and 3-for-3 from the charity stripe.

Augustana got out to its largest lead of the game at 36-31 with 17:31 remaining, but the Beavers countered and posted a 15-2 run that spanned 3:38 of game time. BSU got buckets from four different players in the run, guided by seven points from Walters.

The lead was eight at 50-42 with 10:59 left when Augustana started to chip away at the Beaver advantage. The Vikings cut the deficit to one possession on three occasions before converting on two free throws with 6:29 showing on the game clock to make the score 55-54 in the favor of BSU.

A Viking 3-pointer from atop the key would knot the contest up at 59-59 with 5:07 remaining. A bucket from senior guard Jason Edwards (Phoenix, Ariz.) gave BSU the 61-59 lead, but a pair of free throws from AC tied the game at 61-61 for the final time. The drama led up the to Rongstad 3-pointer to hand BSU a 64-61 lead with 2:29 left.

Augustana came back with a lay-up, but a pair of free throws by Crockrell moved the game back to a three-point affair. A jumper by the Vikings again shifted the contest within one at 66-65 with 46 ticks left, but a Crockrell drive to the hoop drew a foul and he went to the line again. After being called for a charge three previous times in the game, the call finally went in his favor when driving to the hoop and he converted on both free throws to put BSU up 68-65.

The Vikings put the ball in the hands of the league’s leading scorer in conference games, Cameron McCaffrey and he drove to the hole looking for a bucket or at least a foul. The whistle didn’t blow, but his errant shot went in the hands of teammate. The put back attempt was stuffed by Rosenbloom and the junior defensive specialist corralled the rebound.

Forced to foul, Augustana put Walters at the line and he made the front end of a two shot foul to get the Beavers a two possession lead at 69-65 with 12 ticks left. After a desperation shot missed, McCaffrey added a lay-up as time expired, but it was not enough and the Beavers claimed the victory and snapped a six-game losing skid to the Vikings.

Saturday Night vs Wayne State

The Bemidji State University men’s basketball team held an 11-point lead early in the second half, but failed to keep the offensive intensity alive and fell Saturday 64-62 to Wayne State College at BSU Gymnasium. The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference loss drops the Beavers to 7-6 overall and 5-4 in NSIC play.

Senior Mason Walters (F, Milton, Wis.) recorded back-to-back double-doubles and his fifthof the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Lance Rongstad (G/F, Eleva, Wis.) totaled a season-high 21 points on 8-for-12 (66.7%) shooting from the field and a 5-for-8 (62.5%) performance from beyond the arc.