WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Bemidji State snaps four-game losing skid with win over Minnesota Crookston
CROOKSTON – The Bemidji State women finally got into the win column in the New Year.
Morgan Lee scored a team-high 14 points, junior center Kate Warmack had a double double and the Beavers broke a four-game losing streak Tuesday night with a 58-48 win over Minnesota Crookston in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.
The Beavers (7-7, 3-7 NSIC) led by just three points at halftime, 24-21, but BSU pulled away from the Golden Eagles (5-9, 2-8) late in the second half.
With 13:52 left on the clock the Golden Eagles made a layup that put them only a point behind the Beavers at 33-32.
On BSU’s next few possessions the Beavers got some breathing room.
Baskets from Lee, Warmack and Jessie Althoff – and a few foul shots from LaNae Rash – gave the Beavers a 36-42 lead with 10:42 to play.
After that, the teams went nearly four minutes without a basket on either end, until senior center Emily Kaus made a layup with 6:47 left in the game to hand BSU 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 UMC with 13 seconds left gave Melissa Youngblut two free throws to end the game 58-48.
Both teams struggled from the field, but BSU shot 11-for-27 (40.7 percent), while UMC shot just 23.1 percent from the field and went 5-for-29 (17.2 percent) from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles pulled in 22 offensive rebounds, but failed to make BSU pay, scoring just 14 second chance points.
In addition to Lee’s team-high 14 points and Warmack’s double double, Rash was the third Beaver in double figures, scoring 12 points.
Ashley Martell was the lone UMC player in double figures, scoring 11 points for the Golden Eagles.
The Beavers are back in action this weekend as they travel south to play Winona State Jan. 18 and Upper Iowa Jan. 19.
Bemidji State (58) – Lee 5-13 3-3 14; Rash 3-9 6-8 12; Warmack 5-10 0-0 10; Althoff 3-5 0-0 6; Youngblut 1-5 2-2 5; Reichert 2-2 0-0 4; Kaus 2-2 0-0 4; Thompson 1-5 0-0 3; McKee 0-1 0-0 0; Wessling 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 22-54 11-13 58.
Minnesota Crookston (48) – Martell 4-11 0-0 11; McRoberts 3-7 2-2 9; Moenkedick 4-13 1-5 9; Wiese 1-11 5-8 7; Thielman 1-5 2-2 4; Bunning 1-2 1-2 3; Christenson 1-5 0-0 3; Livingston 0-2 2-2 2; Tyson 0-2 0-0 0; Thorn 0-2 0-0 0; Perkins 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 15-65 13-21 48.
3-point goals – Bemidji State 3-15 (Thompson 1-5; Youngblut 1-5; Lee 1-4; McKee 0-1), Minnesota Crookston 5-29 (Martell 3-10; Christenson 1-3; McRoberts 1-2; Thielman 0-2; Livingston 0-2; Thorn 0-1; Perkins 0-3; Wiese 0-4; Moenkedick 0-2). Rebounds – Bemidji State 39 (Warmack 10), Minnesota Crookston 48 (Wiese 7; Tyson 7).
Total fouls – Bemidji State 20, Minnesota Crookston 14.
Halftime Score – Bemidji State 24, Minnesota Crookston 21.
