Box Score BEMIDJI, Minn. – Minot State University didn't have an answer for Bemidji State's 3-point shooting.

The BSU Beavers knocked down 14 triples – compared to just eight two-point field goals – en route to a 73-63 win over Minot State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball Saturday at the BSU Gymnasium.

The long-range shooting allowed Bemidji State (6-3 overall, 4-1 NSIC), the defending NSIC champion, to pull away from Minot State (2-7, 1-4) down the stretch.

“They beat us by 33 from beyond the arc,” said MISU head coach Matt Murken. “We won from the field on twos and at the foul line, but hit too many jumpers.”

The MISU Beavers trailed by just three at halftime and battled Bemidji State for much of the second half, taking a 37-35 lead with 15:37 to play in the second half on a basket by Adam Randall (So., G, Steele, N.D.).

But BSU went on a 10-2 run capped by two 3-pointers by Dermaine Crockrell and a three-point play by Tor Anderson to stretch the lead to 50-42 with 10 minutes to play.
Minot State couldn't get closer than five points the rest of the ballgame.

“There was stretch in the second half where we missed two free throws, a jumper on the break, executed a great backdoor play and missed that shot and then missed a layup and all of a sudden it's a 10 point game,” Murken said. “Could we have defended better during that stretch? Probably. But we got the shots we wanted and missed them.

Crockrell paced Bemidji State with 22 points, hitting 5 of 8 3-pointers. Lance Rongstad added 17 points and eight rebounds, hitting 5 of 7 3. BSU nearly shot better on 3-pointers (42 percent) than it did overall (43 percent) in the game.

“Those two were 1 of 10 last night and tonight they are 10 for 15,” said Murken. “We played about 70-72 good minutes this weekend, but in this conference on the road, that's not enough to get two.”

E.J. Williams (Jr., G, Raleigh, N.C.) led all scorers with 24, knocking down 9 of 13 field goals and added two rebounds. Anthony Enriquez (Sr., G, Tacoma, Wash.) and Dominique McDonald (Fr., G, Raleigh, N.C.) added 11 points each. Randall and Chris East (Jr., G, Toronto, Ontario) both finished with six rebounds to lead Minot State.

MISU is now off until after the holiday break where the Beavers will travel to Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State for a pair of NSIC road games Jan. 4 and 5.

– GO BEAVERS –