The Bemidji High girls basketball team completed a home and home sweep over Grand Rapids Thursday night, scoring a 74-53 victory before 700 fans at the Fieldhouse.
The win lifted Bemidji to 23-1, one game short of its all-time best season at 24-1 posted in1995.
Grand Rapids dropped to 13-10.
It was Senior Night at Bemidji with the seven seniors honored before the start of play.
Coach Rick Kehoe then started seniors Grace Felling, Caitlin Gangelhoff, Selina Gilbertson, Megan Huseby and Erika Weimann.
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Grand Rapids took advantage of that cast to jump ahead 7-0 before Kayla Hirt, Abby Hendricks and Kenzie Kane made their appearance.
The quickly righted the ship and scored the next eight points to take the lead.
But the Rapids wouldn't go away and staged a later run of five to lead 14-13.
That was to be it, however, as Bemidji moved back ahead behind Hirt's overpowering half and worked to a 36-27 halftime lead, scoring the final seven points.
Hirt had 20 at this point.
Southpaw Jess Corrick, who paced the Rapids in the earlier loss, hit 20. fellow southpaw Kelly Niles added 15.
Jess Yost followed Hirt with 12 and Huseby added 10.
Bemidji got 27 points off the bench to only eight for the Rapids reserves.
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Bemidji led off the boards 46-37 with Hirt cleaning 13 and Yost seven.
Niles' eight paced the losers.
"We didn't play all that well, especially in the second half," said Kehoe. "We gave up too ,many penetrations into the zone for easy layups and failed to adjust to the officiating."
Bemidji drew 22 whistles and had four players end with four fouls., The Rapids scored 26 of its 53 points from the foul line.But Bemidji had only 13 turnovers and the Rapids 14 in the cleanly played game.
Bemidji will draw a bye in the Section7-3A tournament and enter play in the semifinals Thursday at home. Grand Rapids and Hibbing are expected to be the chief opponents in the meet.
Bemidji made it a sweep, taking the B and C Team games.
The B Team closed 10-13 with a 47-46 win, seeing a nine point lead dwindle to one in the final four minutes,. Summer Monsrud and Caitlin Hadrava led the with 10. Abby Geisler matched that for the losers.
The Freshmen ended 13-5 with a 57-33 win. Greta Steever, the season-long scoring leader, had her best night with 27, Jessa Lusby added 11. Lacey Greniger hit 10 to lead the Rapids.
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BEMIDJI (74) Hirt 13 1-2 4 29; Weimann 2 0-0 2 5; Hendricks 1 1-2 4 3; Huseby 3 3-6 4 10; Yost 3 6-7 4 12; Kane 3 0-0 1 7; Gilbertson 3 0-0 2 7;Gangelhoff 0 1-2 1 1; Monsrud 0 0-0 0 0;Totals: 28 13-22 22 74
GRAND RAPIDS (53) Gilson 1 2-2 3 4; Niles 4 78 3 15; Perreault 1 0-0 2 2; Corrick 5 9-10 2 20; Stejskal 1 2-2 1 4; Kleinendorst 1 2-2 2 4; Geisler 0 0-0 0 0; Cleveland 0 1-2 1 1; Sondegsaard 0 3-4 2 3;. Margo 0 0-0 0 0;Totals: 13 26-32 16 53
Halftime score; Bemidji 36, Grand Rapids 27
Three point field goals; Bemidji 5 (Hirt, Weimann, Huseby, Kane, Gilbertson); Grand Rapids 1-Corrick
Rebounds; Bemidji 46, Grand Rapids 38
Turnovers: Bemidji 13, Grand Rapids 14
Officials; Theo Ringle, Tim Slough and Jim Schneider
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BEMIDJI B (47) Monsrud 10, Hadrava 10, Gronhovd 6, Morehouse 5, Sagedahl 4,Treat 4, Erpelding 3,Muller 3, Long 2, Lane, Anderson, Williams, Pender, Deegan 0: Totals; 14 16-28, 18 47
GRAND RAPIDS (46) Geisler 10, Koss 9, Cleveland 8, M. Quinn 8, Peterson 6, Margo 3, Sondegaard 2, Carruth, Chandler, Roswold, Baker, Tinquist, Boss 0; Totals; 18 9-13 21 46
Three point field goals; Bemidji 3 (Monsrud, Treat, Muller) GR 1-Geisler
Rebounds: Bermidji 36, GR 41
Turnovers; Bemidji 26, GR 19
Halftime score: Bemidji 23, Grand Rapids 18
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BEMIDJI C (57) Steever 27, Lusby 11, Bardwell 6, Woods 4, Mart 4, Frey 4,Jahner 1, Conkle, Myhra, Heveron 0;Totasl 24 9-16 18 57
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GRAND RAPIDS C (33) Greniger 10, Letendre 9, Anderson 7, J. Olson 3, Sheppard 2, K Olson 2; Totals: 11 9-16 15 33
Halftime score; Bemidji 18, Grand Rapids 18
