The Bemidji State men's and women's basketball teams return home this weekend for a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games.
The Beavers will take on Concordia-St. Paul on Friday night and St. Cloud State on Saturday night at BSU Gymnasium.
The women tip-off at 6 p.m. and the men follow at 8 p.m.
The Bemidji State men (7-12 overall, 4-9 NSIC) are coming off back-to-back losses after back-to-back wins.
The Beavers fell into a buzzsaw against No. 5 Minnesota State University, Mankato last Friday and lost 108-66 before losing to Southwest Minnesota State 71-67 on Saturday.
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It has been a tough road for the Beavers in the conference season, who have lost nine of the last 11 games while building experience as a young team.
Bemidji State's most experienced player, four-year senior guard Seth Haake, continues to be a force for BSU. He's averaging 17 points per game and that stat ranks fourth in NSIC scoring.
Also notable among the conference leaders is sophomore guard Bryce Tesdahl, who ranks fourth in the NSIC with nearly five assists per game.
Concordia-St. Paul enters the weekend 10-10 overall (7-6 NSIC) and St. Cloud State is 16-4 overall (10-3 NSIC).
The Golden Bears stand sixth in the NSIC standings while the Huskies are in second place.
The Beavers are tied for 11th place and are two games out of eighth place. The top eight teams at the end of the season advance to the conference tournament.
The Bemidji State women's basketball team enters the weekend 11-9 overall (5-8 NSIC) after splitting the southern road trip last weekend.
The Beavers defeated Minnesota State University, Mankato 61-59 last Friday before losing to Southwest Minnesota State 73-63 on Saturday.
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The Beavers are 2-2 in their last four games after a three-game losing streak.
Bemidji State stands at 11th place in the conference standings, but the distance separating BSU and fifth place Minnesota-Duluth and Winona State is three games.
Concordia-St. Paul (16-4 overall, 10-3 NSIC) is tied for first place with Augustana and St. Cloud State (8-12 overall, 3-10 NSIC) stands alone in 13th place.
Sophomore guard Sydney Epema continues to pace the league in 3-point shooting with 51 successful baskets this year. She's shooting 45 percent from beyond the arc, which ranks 28th nationally.
