Women’s Game

The Bemidji State University women’s basketball team posted a 58-48 victory at University of Minnesota, Crookston Tuesday in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game that snapped a four-game losing streak.

The win brings the Beavers overall record to 7-7 and 3-7 in NSIC play. Junior Morgan Lee (G, Hayward, Wis.) led the Beavers with 14 points, while junior center Kate Warmack (East Grand Forks, Minn.) totaled 10 points and 10 rebounds to record her second consecutive double-double and fifth double-double of the season. Lee tallied six rebounds, while Rash added 12 points and three rebounds.

Both teams struggled from the field, but Bemidji State had the edge and totaled a field goal percentage of 40.7 percent. UMC shot 23.1 percent from the field and went 5-for-29 (17.2%) from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles pulled in 22 offensive rebounds, but failed to make BSU pay, scoring just 14 second chance points.

The first half started strong for the Beavers with a layup by Warmack in the first 13 seconds of the game. The layup was followed by a 3-pointer from senior guard Shannon Thompson (Rosemount, Minn.) bringing the score 5-0. With 14:42 left in the first Minnesota, Crookston caught up to the Beavers and the score was tied 7-7. A layup put the Golden Eagles in the lead by two points and was soon answered by a bucket from Lanae Rash (G, Jr., Milwaukee, Wis.) tying the game once again. The teams were tied two more times after that.

With 9:45 left on the clock, Emily Reichert (G, Fr., Rogers, Minn.) made a two pointer that helped BSU break away from Minnesota, Crookston once and for all, 15-13. A 3-pointer by sophomore Melissa Younblut (G/F, Davenport, Iowa) brings the score to 20-13. Just under five minutes until halftime and Lee made a jumper that solidified the Beaver lead, 24-13. With UMC trailing by 11 points they started stepping up their game and didn’t let the Beavers score for the rest of the first half. The half ended with a BSU lead, 24-21.

The second half started off much like the first, with a quick basket from BSU. A defensive rebound by Jessie Althoff (F, Jr., Becker, Minn.) helped Lee get her first 3-pointer of the game, 29-24. With 13:52 left on the clock the Golden Eagles made a jumper that put them only a point behind the Beavers at 33-32. Two free throws by Rash brought the score to 38-32 giving the Beavers the larger lead.

After almost four minutes without a basket from BSU, senior center Emily Kaus (Eagan, Minn.) made a layup with 6:47 left in the game to hand the road team a 44-39 lead. With 1:40 left, Rash made a layup that gave the Beavers their largest gap from UMC since the first half, 52-44. A foul on Minnesota, Crookston, with 13 seconds left on the clock, gave Youngblut two free throws to end the game 58-48.

The Beavers are back in action this weekend as they travel south to play Winona State University Jan. 18 and Upper Iowa University Jan. 19.

Mens Game

Senior Lance Rongstad (G/F, Eleva, Wis.) picked up where he left off Saturday and lifted the Bemidji State University men’s basketball team to a 75-58 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victory at University of Minnesota, Crookston Tuesday at the Lysaker Gymnasium. The senior posted 21 points against Wayne State College Saturday on hot shooting from all over the floor and stayed on fire over the weekend to post 26 points for back-to-back games with 20 or more points for the time in his career.

Rongstad also added a team-high eight rebounds and shot 8-for-13 (61.5%) from the field with a 3-for-6 (50%) mark from beyond the arc. After posting 47 points in the last two games, Rongstad has boosted his career point total to 982, 18 shy of becoming BSU’s 16th 1,000 point scorer in program history.

Seniors Mason Walters (F, Milton, Wis.) and Dermaine Crockrell (G, Mesa, Ariz.) were instrumental in giving BSU an early first half leaf. Walters finished with 15 points and six rebounds on 54.5 percent shooting from the field. Crockrell added 13 points and two rebounds, assists and steals apiece. Junior forward Zach Noreen (Avon, Minn.) chipped in 10 points and pulled down six rebounds.

The Beavers (8-6; 6-4 NSIC, 5-3 NSIC North) shot 46.4 percent from the field, while holding UMC (3-11; 0-10 NSIC, 0-8 NSIC) to 36.5 percent. BSU forced 14 Golden Eagle turnovers and efficiently turned them into 20 points. The win gives the Beavers a season sweep of Minnesota, Crookston, as they downed their league travel partner 90-58 at home Dec. 1.

UMC scored the first basket of the game, but an 11-2 run guided by 10 points from Rongstad handed the Beavers an 11-4 lead four minutes into the contest. The Golden Eagles countered Rongstad and posted a 13-2 stretch of their own to get within one at 16-15. Walters converted on a lay-up to end the run, but a UMC 3-pointer would knot the contest 18-18 with 10:59 to go in the first half.

Walters responded and again put BSU up three with a bucket from downtown. The score would start a Beaver run of 15-5 that handed the road team a 33-23 advantage with 4:27 remaining in the half. During the run, BSU got six points from Crockrell, who failed to score against Wayne State.

UMC converted on a lay-up to get to an eight-point deficit at 33-25, but the Beavers would continue to put the pressure on and opened a 16-point lead at 45-29 on a layup from Crockrell with three ticks left in the half. BSU took that lead into halftime behind a 12-0 advantage on points off turnovers and 18 points in the paint.

The Beavers scored the first bucket of the second half to open and 18-point lead, but UMC battled back to get with in 11 at 52-41 with 14:56 remaining. Rongstad made a pair of three throws to regain a 13-point, but the Golden Eagles got back to an 11-point deficit at 54-43 with 12:36 left.

The Beavers then closed the door on the home team with back-to-back 3-pointers from Noreen and senior guard Jason Edwards (Phoenix, Ariz.). The lead went to 22 at 69-47 with 5:23 showing on the game clock on an old-fashioned three-point play from Crockrell and BSU never looked back. The lead went as high as 26 before settling on the 17-point victory.

The Beavers continue a three-game road trip Jan. 18-19 at Winona State University and Upper Iowa University.