BEMIDJI -- Mohamed Kone wasn’t about to let his Senior Day end with a loss.
The Bemidji State men’s basketball fifth-year guard, who entered the transfer portal in the offseason before returning to the Beavers, faced an 87-86 deficit to No. 23 Minnesota State Moorhead on Saturday at the BSU Gymnasium. With less than 20 seconds left, Kone sized up the defensive scheme and drove to his left, establishing deep post position under the basket.
There, he had to weave through a swarm of tall Dragons, getting the ball up on the glass with 13 seconds left. The ball bounced around the rim and fell in, igniting the home fans in attendance and providing Bemidji State with a euphoric 88-87 victory.
Highlights from the Beavers' 88-87 victory over the No. 23 Dragons!https://t.co/beHyMsifXf#GoBeavers #BeaverTerritory
— Bemidji State MBB (@BSUBeaversMBB) February 12, 2023
“We were down one, and coach told me many times, ‘If we're down one, we should go right away so we at least get an extra shot just in case we miss it,’” Kone said. “I trusted my game and I trusted myself, and my teammates trusted me to make the right play, and that was for me to go get a bucket.”
Kone – listed at 6-foot-3 – displayed veteran poise in the midst of a thicket of vertically prolific MSUM defenders, maneuvering expertly through the forest to find a sliver of daylight and power the ball up onto the iron.
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“I just try to use my body and find the right angle around the rim,” Kone said. “I try to use the rim as my protection with the trees, so it's nice. Just a part of my skill that I work on, and I'm glad that it went up and it went in.”
On the ensuing MSUM possession, Gavin Baumgartner attempted a desperation jumper with four seconds on the clock. It didn’t fall, and Bemidji State rebounded the errant effort to extinguish the Dragons’ fire for good.
BSU head coach Mike Boschee was quite pleased the Beavers were able to finish off the ranked win, especially considering how much of the action Bemidji State controlled. The Beavers (17-9, 12-8 NSIC) held an 83-70 lead with 7:44 remaining, but MSUM (20-6, 15-5 NSIC) closed that gap significantly down the stretch.
“I don't know that anybody can score inside the way they were guarding Dalton Albrecht and John Sutherland there,” Boschee said. “I mean, they were getting away with murder in there and didn't barely get any foul calls. That makes it difficult, because those are our two main guys inside that we're trying to go to. But somehow, we found a way and made enough plays and made enough shots to hold on and get a big win.”
Boschee was indeed quite displeased with the officiating during the matchup. He was tagged with a technical foul after disputing a blocking foul against Sutherland, a call the BSU bench and players on the floor unanimously and vociferously protested. The block stood, and the Dragons rang up three total points on that trip.
Sutherland left the game with an injury after falling to the hardwood on the play, and while he returned with 5:17 remaining, Bemidji State missed his stout interior presence during the Dragons’ run.
“He had a cramp in there too a little bit,” Boschee said. “So we were playing without him for a little while. It makes it difficult. But all in all, just a really good gutsy performance. They're a top 25 team. For us to bounce back and play a lot better than we did against Northern State (on Friday) was really, really satisfying. I’m really proud of the guys.”
Albrecht led the Beavers with 22 points, followed closely by Kone with 21. Sutherland chipped in 19 despite his ailment, and Johnny Tennyson added 11 on 3-4 shooting from the 3-point line.
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Bemidji State returns to the court to face St. Cloud State in its final home game of the regular season at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, back at the BSU gym.
Bemidji State 88, MSU Moorhead 87
MSUM 42 45 -- 87
BSU 48 40 -- 88
MSU MOORHEAD -- Beeninga 27, McGhee 16, Baumgartner 14, Myren 11, Zimmer 11, Stanley-Williams 5, Kinsey 3. Totals: 29-53 FGs, 8-19 3-pt. FGs, 21-25 FTs.
BEMIDJI STATE -- Albrecht 22, Kone 21, Sutherland 19, Tennyson 11, Williams 8, Smith 7. Totals: 37-68 FGs, 9-24 3-pt. FGs, 5-5 FTs.
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