Dec. 9, 2006
[box
score]
BEMIDJI, Minn. (BSU Gymnasium) -- It was
a career night for Bemidji State University forward Alex
Smith (Miami, Fla.). The junior poured in a career-high
27 points in a Beavers loss to Minnesota State University,
Moorhead, 72-61, Saturday night at the BSU Gymnasium.
Netting 12-of-18 (.667) from the floor and
going 3-of-5 from the line, Smith scored more than any BSU
player since Duane Fields tallied 27, Jan. 8, 2005.
Smith was a force in the paint for the Beavers
keeping the game within reach for nearly 35 minutes, but when
the Dragons rattled off a 10-2 run during the final five minutes
of play, it would give MSUM a 14-point cushion (65-51) and
put the game out of reach for Bemidji State.
The Beavers finished the night out shooting
the Dragons making good on 27-of-62 (.435) while MSUM was
25-for-62 (.403). The difference in the game was that BSU
turned the ball over 17 times to MSUM's 10 and got to the
line just seven times while the Dragons made 19-of-28 freebies.
Smith led all players in scoring while Arron
Evans (Jr., G, Minneapolis, Minn.) added 10 points
and matched Andre Bell (Jr., PG, Chicago,
Ill.) with a BSU-best five assists. Sergej Baskow
(Fr., F, Ludwigsburg, Germany) paced a BSU team that was out
rebounded 42-35 with nine boards. Smith pulled down eight
with four coming on the offensive end and recorded three blocks.
Jamal O'Neal recorded 16 points and led all
players with 13 rebounds for the game's only double-double.
O'Neal paced a group of four MSUM players in double-figures.
Blake Strouth netted 15 while pulling down eight rebounds
and leading the team with four assists and Grant Fossum and
Lee Isaacson each dumped in 12.
Despite never holding the lead in the game,
BSU matched the Dragons blow for blow in the first half, cutting
the MSUM advantage to four-points on six different occasions
with chances to slice the lead in half but could never muster
enough offense to get over the hump.
Midway through the first half, Smith would
net a pair of free-throws and knock down and jumper to bring
the Beavers to within four points, 24-18, but BSU would miss
of its next three shots and commit two turnovers allowing
the visitors to build their lead back to eight, 28-20.
Back-to-back lay-ups by Evans and Smith again
reeled MSUM to within two possession, 35-30, with just 1:51
to go in the half, but the Dragons scored the final four points
of the stanza to go into the break up 39-30.
The Beavers came out in the second half to
trim the deficit to 44-38 in a Dan Sowu (Sr.,
G, Chicago, Ill.) lay-up at the 15-minute mark. MSUM would
respond by scoring five consecutive points to stretch their
lead back to 11 points (49-38). But the Dragons just could
not shake the Beavers.
A dunk by by Smith followed by a Marques
Ramos (Jr., F, Henderson, Nev.) three-point play
with 6:24 to go would close the score to 55-49, but the Dragons
would slam the door on any hopes of a BSU comeback win when
they netted the next five points and 10 of the next 12 to
go up 65-51 with just over three minutes to go.
The Dragons went on to claim their second
conference win (2-1) and improve to 6-2 overall.
The win gives MSUM a 79-78 lead in an all-time
series that got its start Feb. 17, 1928. It also marks the
second-consecutive victory the Dragons have posted on the
Beavers' home court.
Bemidji State (0-11; 0-4 NSIC) is off until Dec. 20 when it
welcomes the University of North Dakota to the BSU Gymnasium
for a non-conference tilt. The game is set to follow the 6
p.m. women's game versus the Fighting Sioux with the opening
tip slated for approximately 8 p.m.
--bsu--
|
