Nov. 29, 2005
ST. CLOUD, Minn.– [box
score] The St. Cloud State University men's basketball
team has Bemidji State University's number. The Huskies battled
back from a 10-point second half deficit to gain a 12-point,
84-72, victory over the Beavers Tuesday night at Halenbeck
Hall in St. Cloud, Minn. The win marks the 11th consecutive
victory for SCSU versus the Beavers and the 31st in the last
33 meetings dating back to the 1976-77 season.
Foul trouble again plagued the Beavers. Bemidji
State was whistled for 14 more violations than its opponent,
putting SCSU on the line for 41 free-throws compared the the
Beavers' 15. The Huskies shot 78 percent (32-41) from the
stripe on the night, with 31 coming in the second half, outscoring
the BSU 32-12 and swinging the game in their favor.
The teams came out of the tip sluggish combining
for just 19 points through the first 10 minutes. But with
11:43 before the halftime buzzer, down 9-7, Derrick
Beechum (Sr., G, Davenport, Iowa) ignited a 13-point
BSU run with his only three-pointer of the night. By the time
the streak was over 3:23 later, the Beavers owned a 11-point
advantage (20-9).
The Beavers would remain in the driver's
seat for the remainder of the half answering small SCSU charges
with long-range shooting.
Just days removed from a pair of contests
in which the Beavers posted just four three-pointers as a
team and was just 8-of-46 from behind the arc for a three-point
shooting percentage of .174, BSU nailed 8-of-13 in the first
20 minutes. Six Beavers recorded a three in the half led by
Derik Hollyfield (Sr., G, Aurora, Ill.) and
Duane Fields (Sr., G, Los Angeles, Calif.)
who each netted a pair of threes to lead BSU to a 36-30 lead
at the break.
BSU came out of locker room to hold the lead
for the first 6:38 of the second stanza, extending its lead
to 10 points just 97 seconds in, but SCSU would use a 7-for-8
performance at the line in the opening minutes of the half
as a springboard to a 13-point run to regain the lead, 55-52,
for the first time since the 12:01 mark of the first half
with 11:32 to go in the game.
The Beavers would battle back to knot the
game at 56-56 on a Sherwin Johnson (Sr.,
G/F, Macon, Ga.) dunk less than two minutes later, but the
Huskies would counter with a 19-5 run during the next 4:43
putting the game out of reach for the Beavers.
Hollyfield paced Bemidji State going 7-of-15
from the floor including a 4-for-7 performance from behind
the arc for a career-high 21 points. Stacy Pearson-Taylor
(Sr., F, Miami, Fla.) posted 11 points to equal Johnson while
Spencer Carter (Sr., F, Chicago, Ill.) led
the Beavers with five rebounds.
The Huskies were led by Adam Sullivan who
netted 23 points. He was joined in double-figures by David
Dreas (19) and Eric Green (16). Matt Siegle pulled down a
game-high eight rebounds while Dreas tied BSU's Fields for
a game-best five assists.
The loss drops Bemidji State to 2-4 on the
year while SCSU improves to 4-2. BSU returns to Bemidji to
kick off a three-game homestand this weekend. Friday the team
hosts Colorado Christian University and will turn around to
battle a second Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponent
Saturday when the Beavers battle Mesa State College to the
first time in the 84-year history of the program. Tip-off
for both games is set for 8 p.m. at the BSU Gymnasium.
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