Jan. 3, 2004

[box score]

WINONA, MINN. -- The Bemidji State men’s basketball squad used a season-best 51 percent shooting effort to capture a 92-73 victory over Winona State tonight in McCown Gymnasium.

BSU, which moved to 21-0 when scoring over 90 points since 2000, improved to 7-6 overall and 2-0 in the league. Meanwhile, Winona State fell to 7-6, one night after defeating Minnesota Crookston, 89-76.

Senior Charles Hanks finished with 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Hanks moved past Irv St. Jean for eighth-place on the BSU career scoring list, he stands with 1,242 points. Also, the Chicago, Ill, native pushed into the BSU career rebounding top 10 as he is now eighth with 456 career boards.

Junior Sherwin Johnson chipped in a personal-best 23 points with a perfect eight-for-eight effort from the foul line. Following up a career high 28 points in the victory at Concordia-St. Paul last night, senior Adam Daley posted 18 points with four treys.

The Beaver defense was solid in the early going, racing out to a 21-4 lead in the first five-plus minutes. WSU did not reach double figures till the 13:19 mark of the first. Leading 42-34, BSU shot 53 percent in the first 20 minutes with Hanks a perfect four-of-four.

The hosts never threatened BSU’s advantage as the Beavers have now won seven straight regular season conference games.

From three-point land, BSU was 10-of-22 (.455) while WSU was just seven-of-25 (.280). For just the second time this season, the Green and White made more free throws than its opponent, going 20-of-24 (.833). The Warriors were 14-of-20 (.700) and got out-rebounded 38-46.

The Beavers will come back to Bemidji, Minn., for a five-game stretch of home games. They first host 2002-03 league champion Northern State, Tuesday, Jan. 6 for a 8:00 p.m. affair.


NOTE: The Beavers have now won five straight in the series with Winona State but still trail 63-72 overall...Adam Daley has hit at least one three-pointer in 31 straight games after four tonight; in his last four contests, Daley has three or more treys...As a team, BSU has gone for five-plus long range bombs in 48 straight games...In getting out-rebounded in four of its first five games this year, BSU has won the rebounding battle in three of its last four with a +8 advantage tonight...After going for a stretch of five games in which the Beavers connected on less than 10 treys, they have now hit the double-digit barrier in their last three contests...The last time two Beaver players scored at least 20 points in the same game was against these Warriors, March 5, 2003 as Kenneth Pointer (20) and Jamal Clements (20) accomplished the feat...In the coach Jeff Guiot era (2001-present), BSU is a solid 30-4 when leading at the half.