UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CROOKSTON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS TO BSU

Story by Shawn Smith of UMC Athletics – 

Bemidji State University outscored the University of Minnesota Crookston women’s basketball team 16-9 in the final three minutes of the game to secure an 86-80 victory. Minnesota Crookston put up their highest scoring output of the season, including a career-high 27 points from Kylie Post (Sr., Corcoran).

Jes Mertens (So., G, Devils Lake, N.D.) added 13 points and six rebounds on 4-of-6 from the field. Mary Burke (Sr., F, Virginia, Minn.) finished with nine points. Bren Fox (R-Jr., F/C, Norwood Young America, Minn.) added eight points and eight boards. Emma Carpenter (Jr., G, Eagan, Minn.) and Abi Fraaza (Fr., F, Birnamwood, Wis.) each finished with seven points. Alex Page (Fr., F, Grand Forks, N.D.) had six rebounds.

Bemidji State jetted out to a 9-3 advantage following a Taylor Vold basket. Minnesota Crookston was able to remain within six (14-9) following a jumper from Post. The Golden Eagles ignited a 10-0 run to flip the script and take the 19-15 lead in the first quarter guided by four points from Fraaza. Buckets from Yoder and Heittola would even the tally 19-19 going into the quarter break.

Minnesota Crookston opened the second stanza on a 6-0 run led by back-to-back buckets from Fox. Bemidji State countered and knotted the game up 27-27 with 6:20 left in the quarter using a Sydney Zerr trey. The two teams would trade baskets in the following minutes, but the Beavers took the three-point advantage following a Yoder bucket. Minnesota Crookston closed to within one, 36-35, as Post found her fellow senior Kylea Praska (Sr., G, Thief River Falls, Minn.) on the fast-break late in the half.

Four points from Heittola pushed the Beavers out to a 40-35 lead early in the third quarter. Bemidji State extended their lead to seven (46-39) following a Brooklyn Bachmann three-pointer. Minnesota Crookston had the answer as Post raced to seven quick points to knot the game up 46-46 with 4:14 left in the third quarter. Five-straight points from Coley Rezabek pushed Bemidji State back out in front 51-46. However, UMN Crookston again had the answer as they closed the quarter on a 9-0 run propelled by three-pointers from Carpenter and Page. The Golden Eagles led 55-51 going into the quarter break.

A Mertens jumper widened the gap to six early in the fourth quarter. The Beavers closed to within two (59-57) following a trey from Schires with 8:06 remaining. Minnesota Crookston responded as buckets from Post and Mertens extended the lead to six (63-57). The Beavers countered with a 5-0 run ignited by an old-fashioned three-point play from Heittola to cut the lead to one with 6:24 left in the game. The two teams then traded baskets and the lead until Minnesota Crookston was up 71-69 following a Post three-pointer with 4:12 remaining. Bemidji State used a pair of Rezabek free throws to tie the game up 71-71. Knotted up 71-71 Heittola went to the line for the Beavers and missed both, but a Rezabek offensive rebound a Schires three-pointer proved to be costly as Bemidji State took the 74-71 advantage. The Golden Eagles came back with a three from Post to tie the game up 74-74 with 2:37 left in the game. However, an old-fashioned three-point play from Heittola and a basket from Yoder gave the Beavers a five-point lead with 1:44 remaining. The Beavers used free throws to extend the lead to eight with 44 seconds remaining. Minnesota Crookston would attempt to use their defense to generate offense off the steal, and did so once with a bucket from Post. In the end, Bemidji State came out on top 86-80.

The Golden Eagles fell to 1-8 (0-3 NSIC) and will host Northern State on Friday. Bemidji State improved to 4-4 (1-2 NSIC).