Feb. 17, 2007

[box score]

BEMIDJI, Minn. (BSU Gymnasium) -- The Bemidji State University men's basketball team dropped its final home game of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season Saturday, 70-50, to league newcomer University of Mary. The Marauders took a 22-point lead into the break thanks to a 9-of-13 performance from beyond the three-point arc in the first half (.692). Despite outscoring the visitors during the final 20 minutes BSU would not be able to recover.

Alex Smith (Jr., F, Miami, Fla.) poured in 18 points on an efficient 8-of-11 night from the field and 2-of-3 from the line to lead all players in scoring. He also posted a team-high six rebounds and a game-best three blocked shots. Sergje Baskow (Fr., F, Ludwigsburg, Germany) added 10 points and in the last home game of his career, Dan Sowu (Sr., G, Chicago, Ill.) netted five points, three rebounds and led the team with four assists.

Mary was led by the tandem of Jordan Engelhardt and Bill Shelter who each scored 16 points. Engelhardt was 4-of-6 from the field, hit both of his three-point attempts and was 6-of-8 from the line while Shelter was 4-of-6 from downtown and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.

Zack Dosch led all players with eight rebounds as the Marauders edged the Beavers on the backboards 30-29.

Mary played the first half from outside the arc.

Lance Doppler got the Marauders on the board just 12 second into the game hitting from three-point land showing an early sign of what was to come.

After Arron Evans (Jr., G, Minneapolis, Minn.) answered at the other end to knot the game at 3-3, Eric Erdmann took a pass from Engelhardt and made his way to he hoop for a lay-up to put UM in the lead for good.

The Marauders would go on to score the next seven points to stretch their lead to-10-3 at the 17:43 mark.

The Beavers would three times cut the lead to five points before the 15-minute mark, but would go cold scoring just nine points during the remainder of the half as the Marauders continued to pile on three after three to build a 42-20 lead by the time the halftime horn sounded.

Mary would score seven of the first nine point of the second half to set the tone for the final 20 minutes.

In the bonus by the 14-minute mark, UM sank seven-of-eight free-throw attempts to increase its lead to 32 points with 8:40 to go in the game. But the Beavers would not give up.

BSU turned its defense up a notch in the second half forcing 14 turnovers which translated into a seven points. The Beavers also made up ground with solid post play from Baskow and Smith. In the second half Bemidji State netted 22 points in the paint as the duo combined for a total of 23 points during the final stanza.

The Beavers finished the game shooting 38.9 percent from the field (21-54) and 17.6 percent from beyond the arc. The Marauders were 21-42 (.500) overall and finished the game 10-of-18 (.556) from outside the three-point line.

For the second consecutive contest, BSU faced substantial disparity at the free-throw line. Tonight UM out shot BSU 22-9 at the line making 18 (.818). BSU was 5-of-9 (.556).

The Beavers fall to 1-4 all-time series versus the Marauders and complete the home portion of their season posting a 3-11 record in the BSU Gymnasium.

Bemidji State (4-21; 4-12 NSIC) hits the road for the final week of the 2006-07 NSIC regular season. The team will head to Upper Iowa University (3-22; 2-14 NSIC) Friday (Feb. 23) and caps the conference slate at Winona State University (25-0; 16-0 NSIC) with one last shot as spoiling the defending NCAA Division II National Champions' perfect regular season.

-bsu-