BEMIDJI -- The Bemidji State men’s basketball team is heading to Sioux Falls, S.D.
Facing NSIC South No. 5 seed Augustana at the BSU Gymnasium, the Beavers had a rare opportunity to give a playoff home crowd something to cheer about. BSU had not hosted an NSIC Tournament game since 2014, but that didn’t matter on Wednesday.
Bemidji State, the No. 4 seed in the NSIC North, stonewalled the Vikings down the stretch, holding onto a slim lead and executing key free throws and defensive stops to seal a 92-88 victory.
Bemidji State seals a 92-88 win, and they're heading to the Pentagon for the NSIC Quarterfinals. Great program win for the Beavers to end the home season, and they'll be in Sioux Falls on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/TAWuQKo893
— Christian Babcock (@CB_Journalist) February 23, 2023
“It’s a super fun atmosphere,” said BSU junior forward John Sutherland, who led all scorers with a career-high 28-point showing. “It was my first college playoff game, so that was super fun. And we got the win, so that makes it a lot better.”
After falling down 14-5 in the early going, the Beavers stabilized offensively with a spread-out approach and earned a 49-47 lead by halftime. Augustana (15-14, 11-11 NSIC) stayed close the rest of the way, but the Vikings could never wrest control of the contest back from Bemidji State (19-10, 13-9 NSIC).
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Jadan Graves’s 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining brought Augie within 90-88. But after BSU’s Jayce Lowman made two free throws, Mohamed Kone registered his second block of the game on Graves’ desperation heave and ended the Vikings’ season.
Sutherland seemed unfazed by the postseason challenge, pouring in his buckets with typical efficiency around the cup. He finished 12-15 from the floor, including an atypical, banked-in 3-pointer to beat the shot clock.
“I hit a little step-back, and I shot it and it banked in,” Sutherland said. “So I was super happy, and then I even celebrated.”
Sutherland was complemented by graduate transfer forward RJ Smith, who didn’t miss for most of the game. Smith started the matchup 7-7 from the floor, carrying his perfect streak deep into the second half.
Perhaps Smith’s most emblematic shot was his 3-pointer with 14:22 left in the second half. That attempt, which bounced off the rim and backboard multiple times before dropping in, put the Beavers up 66-62.
“It feels really good, honestly,” Smith said of his stellar marksmanship. “The last home game, I had a similar story. I’m just trying to do what we can do to get to the Pentagon. Now (that we’ve gotten) to the Pentagon, I want to do what we can do to win (the championship). It felt good making shots, but it’s something I need to consistently do.”
BSU advances to the NSIC Quarterfinals, which will be held at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. The Beavers had not proceeded beyond the first round of the conference tournament since 2019.
“I told the guys I was really proud of them,” said head coach Mike Boschee, who set his new career high for wins in a season at BSU. “They’re entering kind of rare territory for Bemidji State basketball. There’s only been seven teams in the history of Bemidji State that have won 18 games. There’s only been a couple – maybe one or two – that have been to 20 wins in a season. But we’re at 19 right now. … So to do what we’re doing right now, in the situation that we’re in with our basketball program, outstanding.”
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Smith added 18 points to supplement Sutherland’s game-high 28. The Beavers also received double-digit point totals from Mohamed Kone (16), Dalton Albrecht (13) and Brayden Williams (11).
Graves led the Vikings with 27 points, followed by Ryan Miller, who matched his jersey number with 24. Isaac Fink chipped in 15.
BSU shot at least 60% from the field in each half and finished the matchup with an overall percentage of 60.8%. That prolific rate – plus a steal by Albrecht and two blocks by Kone in the final minutes – closed out the contest.
Bemidji State will now travel to Sioux Falls to face NSIC South No. 1 seed Wayne State at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Bemidji State 92, Augustana 88
AUG 47 41 -- 88
BSU 49 43 -- 92
AUGUSTANA -- Graves 27, Miller 24, Fink 15, Akoi 8, Tiedman 6, Hinker 5, Rensch 3. Totals: 30-55 FGs, 13-25 3-pt. FGs, 15-19 FTs.
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BEMIDJI STATE -- Sutherland 28, Smith 18, Kone 16, Albrecht 13, Williams 11, Tennyson 4, Lowman 2. Totals: 31-51 FGs, 11-22 3-pt. FGs, 19-25 FTs.
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