MINOT, N.D. -- The Bemidji State men’s basketball team delivered in the clutch on Saturday, downing Minot State 73-65 behind a closing 9-2 run in Minot.
MiSU threatened within 64-63 with 1 minute, 18 seconds to play on a Trevor Rothstein 3-pointer, but the road Beavers went 9-for-10 from the free-throw line in the final minute to ice away the win.
BSU (12-12, 9-11 NSIC) never created lasting separation on Minot State (10-16, 4-16 NSIC). Though Ja Morgan drained a three for a 14-6 advantage eight minutes in, capping a 7-0 run, MiSU answered with a 12-2 spurt to regain the lead.
Bemidji State kept close, ultimately jumping in front 29-27 on a Max Bjorklund triple, but Minot State worked to a 32-29 halftime lead nonetheless.
Derek Thompson put in back-to-back and-one layups early in the second half, and Bjorklund added another 3-pointer to make it a 9-0 run. BSU was ahead 38-34 by then, and after a Thompson jumper for a 40-38 edge, Bemidji State played in front for the next 12 minutes.
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The difference was never more than four, though, which allowed Minot State to tie things back up at 57-all with five minutes left. Even so, BSU scored the next four points through Logan Bader and Cody Landwehr to go back up for good.
Morgan again tried to separate with a three for a 64-60 edge, but Rothstein drained his triple soon after to return the game to a one-point affair. However, Morgan and Nick Wagner answered with consecutive 2-for-2 trips to the charity stripe, and MiSU never again got the ball back with a chance to tie.
Thompson tallied a team-best 17 points, while Morgan’s 16, Bjorklund’s 15 and Logan Bader’s 10 added to the balance. Bader also finished with five rebounds, climbing into fourth all-time in program history with 614 boards in his career.
Kyle Beisch had 30 points and Rothstein 14 for Minot State.
Augie's win keeps them two games up on Bemidji State. So, even if BSU gets the North's No. 4 seed over SCSU, they need to go 2-0 next weekend while the Vikings go 0-2 in order to host a playoff game.
— Micah Friez (@micahfriez) February 16, 2020
Augie plays first-place Sioux Falls on Friday and last-place SMSU on Saturday. https://t.co/Vu2AHD1QqF
With the weekend results, Bemidji State currently sits one game back of St. Cloud State for fourth place in the North Division standings. The Beavers host the Huskies at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at the BSU Gymnasium.
Bemidji State 73, Minot State 65
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BSU 29 44 -- 73
MiSU 32 33 -- 65
BEMIDJI STATE (12-12, 9-11 NSIC) -- Thompson 17, Morgan 16, Bjorklund 15, Bader 10, Landwehr 8, Wagner 7, Chase 0, Olizia 0. Totals 24-58, 17-18, 73.
MINOT STATE (10-16, 4-16 NSIC) -- Beisch 30, Rothstein 14, Dwyer 10, Cody 9, Ohlrich 2, Goodman 0, Manzi 0. Totals 23-52, 14-16, 65.
