Dec. 2, 2002
BEMIDJI, Minn. - [box score] Wisconsin-Superior was far from superior tonight, as the Bemidji State men’s basketball team shot 60 percent from the field, including a blistering 19-for-26 (.731) in the second half en route to a 102-56 demolition of the Yellowjackets at the BSU Gymnasium.

The 102 points scored by BSU is the team’s highest point total since posting a 100-80 win over Winona State on Jan. 22, 1994 and the 46-point margin of victory is BSU’s first 40-point win since a 104-61 win at Mayville State in the 1993-94 season opener, Nov. 20, 1993.

Bemidji State dominated the game from start to finish. Jeff Lorenson hit a three-point basket for the Beavers just three seconds into the contest and BSU would never look back. The team needed just 4:26 to open up an 11-point lead at 15-4, opened up its first 20-point lead of the game, 37-16, with 1:35 to play in the first half and at halftime held a 42-18 lead.

BSU hit on less than half its field goal attempts in the opening frame, connecting on 14 of 28 (.483) but limited the Yellowjackets to just six of 25 from the floor in the first half (.240) including one of 10 from three-point range.

BSU opened the second half with an 11-2 run, and a Justin Bessler layup at 9:25 of the second half pushed the team’s margin over 40 points for the first time in the game, 76-35. Superior would get no closer than 41 points the rest of the contest, and BSU’s lead ballooned to as many as 48 points in the game’s final minutes.

Senior transfer Chris Wallen led four Beavers in double figures with a season-high 14 points. He hit on six of nine from the field, and brought the BSU Gymnasium crowd to its feet in the second half after a steal and turnaround dunk.

Ben Caron added 13 points, five boards and a block; Stan Johnson scored 12 points, dished out two assists and had two steals but was just three of seven from the field; and Adam Daley scored 10 points, connecting on all three of his three-point field goal attempts.

Charles Hanks led BSU with six rebounds, and Aaron Kallhoff had a career-high seven assists - the most by a BSU player this year.

For the game, eight BSU players connected on a total of 13 three-point field goals, just one shy of the school record. BSU put up 20 three-point field goal attempts, and in its last two games has taken 62 shots from three-point land.

Twelve different BSU players scored in the game and no player was on the court for 20 minutes. Jamal Clements led the Beavers with 19 minutes of action; he scored eight points and added two rebounds and four assists.

Cody Kastern led the Yellowjackets with a game-high 17 points. He shot 6 of 9 from the field, including 2 of 2 from three-point range. Don DeFoe added 10 points and four rebounds in the losing effort.

The victory evened BSU’s season record at 3-3, while Wisconsin-Superior dropped to 2-2 on the year. Next action for the Beavers comes Dec. 5, when the team hosts St. Cloud State in a 7:30 p.m. Central time tipoff.