First-half defense led the Bemidji State University men’s basketball team Saturday night during a 90-80 win against Upper Iowa University at the BSU Gymnasium. Freshman Calvin Harrington led the Beavers (10-10, 7-9 NSIC) with a career-high 21 points while the team held the Peacocks (12-13, 8-8 NSIC) to 33.3 percent shooting from the field and 18.2 percent from behind the arc in the first half.

Five different Beavers kicked off scoring for BSU while taking a 12-9 lead just under six minutes into the game. A 10-3 run from that point gave Bemidji State its first double-digit lead of the game, as junior forward Will Harvey converted two of his seven first half points. The Beavers’ lead dipped into single digits twice through the rest of the half.

Freshman guard Clay Seifert sank a 3-pointer assisted by senior guard DJ Anderson to give BSU its largest lead of the first half, 42-23. Despite Upper Iowa drawing 13 fouls on Bemidji State through the first half compared to four against UIU, the Beavers entered the halftime break with a 45-28 advantage.

Bemidji State hits the road again next weekend as Southwest Minnesota State University and University of Sioux Falls plays host in interdivisional matchups. The Beavers will face the Mustangs and the Cougars for their only meetings of the regular season Feb. 5-6.