Friday Night

After recording three straight wins, the Bemidji State University men’s basketball team was on the losing end for the second consecutive game Friday, as it fell 86-76 at Minot State University in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference contest in Minot, N.D.

Bemidji State (12-11; 10-9 NSIC) shot nearly 50 percent from the field and hit 11 3-pointers in the game, but it wasn’t enough, as Minot State (9-14; 8-11 NSIC) shot 56 percent and hit nine 3-pointers. BSU turned the ball over 17 times – the second most in the last 13 games – and that resulted in 22 MISU points.

Senior guard Dermaine Crockrell (Mesa, Ariz.) guided BSU with 24 points on 9-for-16 (56.3%) shooting from the field and four assists. Senior Lance Rongstad (G/F, Eleva, Wis.) scored 16 points to move into a tie for 13th all-time at Bemidji State with 1,129 career points with James Ellisor (2010-12). Senior forward Mason Walters (Milton, Wis.) recorded 14 points and six rebounds on 6-for-8 (75%) shooting. Junior Zach Noreen (Avon, Minn.) added 13 points on 3-of-4 (75%) shooting from 3-point land. Senior Jason Edwards (G, Phoenix, Ariz.) recorded a career-high seven assists.

A junior Jake Schalow (G, Kaukauna, Wis.) connected on a 3-pointer two minutes into the game and gave Bemidji State an 8-4 lead, but a 7-4 Minot State run got the home team within one at 12-11 with 13:50 left in the half. MISU took its first lead of the game at 16-14 with 11:04 showing on the clock.

The teams traded buckets for the next two minutes until Walters drained a shot from downtown, then a MISU turnover was answered by a Noreen 3-point dagger and BSU owned a 25-21 lead with 7:38 left in the frame. Minot State responded with a 7-0 run during a minute of game time and regained the lead at 28-25.

A pair of Rongstad free throws stopped the bleeding, but MISU poured salt in the open wound and added a 9-0 run to jump out to a 10-point lead at 37-27 with just less than three minutes remaining. Bemidji State cut the deficit to seven on a Crockrell 3-pointer, but a MISU dagger from downtown with just nine ticks left gave the home team the momentum and the 44-34 lead into the locker rooms.

Minot State made the first basket of the second half, but the road Beavers tallied the next 10 points to trail by just two at 46-44 with 17:13 showing on the game clock. BSU kept the deficit within two possessions, as MISU countered any run the road team attempted.

BSU finally tied the game at 55-55 on a Rongstad layup with 10:16 left in regulation. The home Beavers responded with a 3-pointer and followed that with a jumper and owned a 60-55 lead with 9:22 left. Four straight points from Rongstad got BSU within two at 61-59, then Crockrell stepped up and drained a 3-pointer to give Bemidji State its first lead since 7:38 left in the first half at 62-61 with 7:47 remaining.

MISU knocked down a 3-pointer of its own to retake the lead at 64-62, but an old-fashioned 3-point play from Crockrell gave the road team the 65-64 advantage. Minot State responded with the same play and with just over five minutes to go, MISU led 67-65.

After Crockrell tied the game with two free throws, Minot State hit a 3-pointer from way behind the arc and followed that with a defensive stop and two free throws to own the five-point lead at 72-67 with 3:28 left. Walters came through with a senioresque cold-blooded 3-pointer to get BSU within two.

But the momentum stayed with the home team when MISU converted on a 3-point play and led 75-70 with 2:37 showing on the game clock. The teams then traded lay-ups before Minot State hit a desperation 3-pointer, again from deep behind the 3-point line and MISU went ahead 80-72 with only a minute to play. The deficit proved to be too much for Bemidji State and it fell by 10 and now sits 6-7 this season in games decided by 11 points or less.

The Beavers continue their four-game road trip Feb. 15-16 at Minot State University and University of Mary.

Saturday Night

Junior Maxie Rosenbloom (F, St. Paul, Minn.) scored a team-high 12 points and junior Jake Schalow (G, Kaukauna, Wis.) added eight points, as the two combined for 20 points off the bench to lift the Bemidji State University men’s basketball team to a 63-56 road victory at University of Mary Saturday. The win improved BSU to 13-11 overall and 11-9 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

With the win and a Minnesota State University Moorhead loss tonight, BSU owns sole possession of third in the NSIC North with just one weekend left to play. BSU closed the four-game road trip 2-2 and finished the road portion of the regular season schedule with a 5-8 record.

Rosenbloom went 3-for-4 from the field and posted career-highs in free throws made and attempted with a 6-for-8 performance from the charity stripe. He also added six rebounds. Schalow went 3-for-6 from the field and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. Senior guard Dermaine Crockrell (Mesa, Ariz.) posted 11 points, three rebounds and three assists. Senior Lance Rongstad (G/F, Eleva, Wis.) added 11 points and four rebounds. He is now in sole possession of the 13th all-time in career scoring at BSU with 1,140 points. Senior forward Mason Walters (Milton, Wis.) fell one point shy of his eighth double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. The 10 boards was his eighth 10-plus rebound game this season.

BSU shot just 26.1 percent in the second half to avoid a U-Mary comeback after building an 11-point lead at halftime. The Beavers shot 34 percent in the game, while the Marauders shot 34.4 percent. The teams each brought down 38 rebounds. BSU hit on 22-of-27 attempts from the line for an 81.5 percentage. U-Mary was a perfect 100 percent from the line, but went just 4-for-4.

U-Mary jumped out to a 5-0 lead to start the game, but the Beavers came back with an 11-0 run to own the 11-5 lead 13:24 left in the first half. Three different players scored in the run, guided by six from Rongstad. A junior Zach Noreen (Avon, Minn.) 3-pointer with 11:04 remaining handed the road team a 16-9 lead.

The Bemidji State lead hit 10 for the first time on an Schalow 3-pointer with 7:27 let that handed BSU a 22-12 advantage. With the lead back to 10, Schalow scored five straight points for the Beavers and the lead went to 29-14 with under five left.

The Beaver advantage was down to nine with 59 seconds left, but a Rosenbloom lay-up gave BSU the 32-21 lead heading into halftime. Only Rosenbloom and Schalow scored for BSU for the final 9:41. Schalow had eight points, while Rosenbloom added seven.

U-Mary scored the first five points of the second half as well, but a 7-0 run by BSU handed it a 39-23 lead 2:37 into the frame. The Marauders chipped away at the BSU lead, but a Crockrell 3-pointer moved the advantage back to double-digits at 44-33 with 12:26 remaining.

An 8-0 run by the Marauders got them back into the contest and trailing by just three at 44-41 with just under nine left. Rosenbloom stopped the run with two free throws, but a bucket from downtown by the home team got it within two – the closest U-Mary had been since the opening minutes of the first half – at 46-44 with 8:15 left.

Two senior Jason Edwards (G, Phoenix, Ariz.) free throws put the lead back to four, then a Crockrell fastbreak layup and a Rosenbloom free throw put BSU back up by three possessions and 51-44 with 5:36 remaining in regulation. U-Mary converted a layup to get the deficit to five, but then the Beavers posted a 4-0 run to get the lead to nine at 55-46 with 3:25 left.

U-Mary just didn’t quit and with 49 seconds left hit a 3-pointer to trail by two scores at 57-51. Forced to foul, Rongstad hit the backend of the two foul shot, then a missed 3-point by the Marauders led to a foul and two converted free throws by Walters. The lead would prove to be enough, as the Beavers avoided back-to-back losses.

The Beavers close the regular season with a home weekend Feb. 22-23, as they host University of Minnesota Duluth Friday at 8 p.m. and St. Cloud State University Saturday at 6 p.m.