GIRLS BASKETBALL: Unproductive stretch for Bemidji results in 84-59 loss to Crookston
BEMIDJI – For intermittent stretches the Bemidji High School girls basketball team can play with anyone on its schedule. Sustaining that level of play for an entire game, however, has been the main reason for the team’s problems.
That trend continued Tuesday as the Lumberjacks dropped an 84-59 home decision to Crookston.
The Jacks (3-12) started slowly and trailed 12-2 after four minutes but during the next 10 minutes Bemidji’s offense was able to create and hit the open shot while the defense held the Pirates at bay.
The result was a 22-14 run that brought BHS within 26-24 with 3:25 to play in the first half.
“During that 10-minute stretch we played very well,” said Bemidji coach Rick Kehoe. “We are capable of playing that way but the key for us is to play at a high level for longer periods of time.”
Crookston snapped Bemidji’s momentum when Taylor Demarais drained a pair of 3-pointers from the right wing and teammate Sydney Boike did the same thing from the same spot.
The visitors capped the half with a 6-0 run in the final 1:40 and all of a sudden what had been a 2-point Bemidji deficit was a 42-30 gap at intermission.
“We play well in stretches but then we can have a stretch where we do not see the floor very well and we have trouble working our offense,” Kehoe said. “There is no doubt that we have improved since the early season and there is no doubt that we will continue to improve.
“But Crookston is a very good team and it took advantage of our weaknesses.”
The Pirates (11-2) took the momentum generated in the final minutes of the opening half into the second stanza. Midway through the period they expanded the margin to 61-43 and Bemidji never threatened again.
The Lumberjacks will hope to limit those unproductive stretches Friday when they host Crosby-Ironton.
“If we play like we did during that 10-minute stretch in the first half this is a game we can win,” Kehoe said.
Crosby-Ironton currently owns a 5-6 record.
Crookston (84): Brekken 3, 4-4, 11; Desrosier 1, 0-0, 2; Demarais 5, 1-2, 14; Klatt 4, 0-0, 11; Simmons 1, 0-0, 3; Boike 7, 4-4, 21; Froeber 1, 0-0, 2; Samuelson 1, 0-0, 2; Heggie 8, 0-0, 16. Totals: 32, 9-10, 84
Bemidji (59): Lusby 3, 0-0, 6; Myhra 1, 0-0, 2; Greendahl 0, 2-2, 2; Olson 4, 0-0, 8; Yost 7, 3-4, 18; Fogarty 0, 2-2, 2; Gronhovd 6, 1-2, 13; Palmer 1, 1-2, 3; Steever 2, 1-3, 5; Riley 0, 0-1, 0. Totals: 24, 10-16, 59
3-point FG: Crookston 10, Bemidji 1 (Yost 1); Fouls: Crookston 15, Bemidji 9
Halftime: Crookston 42, Bemidji 30
