COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Beaver men hold on in NSIC opener in Crookston

CROOKSTON - Late free throws help the Bemidji State men’s basketball team win its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game of the season, 62-58, at Minnesota Crookston on Saturday.
BSU’s Elijah Valdez sank all four free throws from the foul line in the final 15 seconds to help the Beavers secure their NSIC opener.
The Beavers (4-1, 1-0 NSIC) had a 27-22 lead at halftime and worked it to a 10-point lead in the first four minutes of the second half.
However, UMC (2-3, 0-1 NSIC) went on a late 9-0 run to take a 54-53 lead with 2:30 left in the game with a layup by Derrick Redd.
BSU took the lead back on Ben Best’s 3-pointer with 1:52 left, making it 56-54. Redd and Gable Smith both missed jumpers on the other end to possibly tie the game at 56-all, and Best made it a two-possession game with a layup with 38 seconds to play.
It wasn’t over just yet, however.
Ben Greygill hit a 3 with 27 seconds to play to cut BSU’s lead to just one point.
Valdez hit two free throws to give BSU a three-point lead, but UMC had a chance to make it one point when DJ Anderson fouled Kobe Critchley with 7 seconds to play.
Critchley made just one free throw, then Valdez made two on the other end to seal the deal for BSU.
Best and Valdez finished with 13 points each, followed by Harvey with 12, Anderson with 11 and Harrington with 11.
Jim Warmack led UMD with 13 points.