BEMIDJI -- Colten Jensen made sure there was plenty to cheer about for the Bemidji High School boys basketball team Tuesday.
On “Silent Night” -- where the BHS student section kept quiet until the Lumberjacks reached their 10th point of the game -- Jensen hit the double-digit plateau to send fans into pandemonium, then racked up a career-high 24 points to lead Bemidji to a 67-49 win over Detroit Lakes at the BHS Gymnasium.
“I wanted to get in to score that 10th point,” said Jensen, who came off the bench. “Before the game, I said, ‘I want to score that 10th point.’ I got in, and I scored it. It was a great feeling.”
Jensen’s first bucket came from a flashy Kade Peterson dish, and Jensen laid in the bunny for an 11-7 Lumberjack lead. But his night was far from over.
“It was big for us to have another post presence tonight,” Bemidji head coach Travis Peterson said of Jensen. “He and Spencer (Konecne) both in the post is a nice combination. He’s a crafty ballplayer… He’s getting varsity tested, and he’s proving that he can run at this level.”
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The sophomore forward worked up to 14 points by halftime, setting up BHS (3-3) for a double-digit edge at 32-21 by the break.
Early on in the second-half, Jensen turned a Ryan Bieberdorf steal into an and-one layup on the other end, capping a 7-0 run for a 43-29 Lumberjack advantage.
The Lakers (2-4) responded soon after, though, when Reed Mace drained a three for a 7-0 spurt of their own within a three-possession span. The surge cut Bemidji’s lead to three at 46-43, which kept close at 50-45 with 8 minutes, 35 seconds to play.
But BHS locked down from there.
“We came in together as one,” Jensen said. “We talked about what we were not doing, what we needed to do, what they were doing. (It) helped us win and get the advantage.”
Ten straight points, highlighted by a smooth Kade Peterson reverse layup, made for a 60-45 score. Although Detroit Lakes stopped the bleeding with a Logan Pratt layup, the Lakers only mustered four points in the final 8:35 as Bemidji stormed away.
And for good measure, Jensen mixed in another six points by game’s end. He finished his night with an easy transition basket via an athletic assist from Jacob Beberg.
In a gym that started silent, cheers for the Lumberjacks rang out all the way to the 67-49 final.
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“We love to be home. The spirit at Bemidji High School… is strong right now. It’s really fun to see the kids come out,” coach Peterson said. “Our goal was to play a full 36 minutes with high energy. That was the difference from our last game, so we were happy to see that.”
Jensen's 24 led all scorers, while Kade Peterson added 12 points and six steals, and Konecne tallied seven points and six blocks. Additionally, Jace Peterson hauled in eight rebounds to go along with another six points for Bemidji. For the Lakers, Pratt had a team-high 13 and Jacob Bettcher added nine.
Up next for the Jacks is a home matchup with Princeton, where Bemidji will look to keep making noise at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, at the BHS Gymnasium.
Bemidji 67, Detroit Lakes 49
DL 21 28 -- 49
BHS 32 35 -- 67
Detroit Lakes scorers: Pratt 13, Bettcher 9, Mace 8, Doppler 5, Stearns 4, J. Kerzman 3, Froke 3, Hanninen 2, T. Kerzman 2.
Bemidji scorers: Jensen 24, K. Peterson 12, Konecne 7, J. Peterson 6, Beberg 5, Bieberdorf 5, S. Hess 4, Hubbard 4.
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