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WAYNE, Neb. — On Friday night, the Beavers came rallying back against Augustana in the second half and fell just a few points short of completing the comeback.

Saturday afternoon in Wayne, Neb., the Bemidji State men’s basketball team put together another impressive second-half effort, though it came far too late to offer any hope of a win.

BSU trailed 51-24 heading into the locker room at halftime. Though the Beavers managed to chip away at the lead in the second frame, the Wildcats were still ahead 77-62 with less than two minutes left on the clock.

Senior guard Daxton Dayley nailed a pair of 3-point shots and a layup to draw Bemidji State within seven, but with just 36 seconds on the clock, it was too little, too late.

Wayne State (16-11) came away with a 78-73 win (10-16), handing BSU its second-straight loss.

Sophomore guard John Pecarich was stellar in the loss, nailing six 3-pointers and finishing with a team-high and career-high 28 points. Junior guard Tate Olson pitched in with a double-double, scoring 17 points and tacking on 10 rebounds.

Dayley was the last Beaver to finish with a double-digit point total, collecting 15.

Wayne State 78, Bemidji State 73

BSU 24 49 — 73

WSC 51 27 — 78

Bemidji State — Pecarich 28, Olson 17, Dayley 15, Sutherland 9, Severts 4. Totals: 25-52 FGs, 11-26 3-pt. FGs, 12-18 FTs.

Wayne State — Saunders 20, McCullough 13, Ferrin 13, Stokes 11, Noll 7, Smith 6, Erickson 5, Blum 3. Totals: 27-55 FGs, 13-31 3-pt. FGs, 11-19 FTs.