BISMARCK, N.D. -- The Bemidji State women鈥檚 basketball team came through in the clutch Saturday afternoon, ringing in their fifth straight win by pulling off a 58-53 nail-biter over U-Mary in Bismarck, N.D.
The Beavers (5-1, 4-0 NSIC North) have now won five games in a row for the first time in over eight years. The four-game conference win streak is also the program鈥檚 first since 1992.
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Brooklyn Bachmann largely willed BSU to victory with nine points in the final 6 minutes, 33 seconds of the fourth quarter. But the senior鈥檚 biggest play of the day was a drive and dish to an open Claire Wolhowe, who drained a dagger 3-pointer for a five-point lead with under a minute left in the game.
Both sides traded 7-0 runs in the first quarter before settling for a 14-14 draw through one, but Bemidji State began to separate in the second frame. The Beavers used a 9-0 run to jump ahead 27-18, and Bachmann sunk another three soon after for a 30-23 advantage by halftime.
Late in the third quarter, however, the offense slowed to molasses. BSU had an 11-point lead midway through, but the Marauders (1-5, 1-3 NSIC North) started to give them fits and climbed back into contention.
Bachmann made another 3-pointer with 2:17 left in the third, but Bemidji State didn鈥檛 make another field goal until 4:13 remained in the fourth quarter. The Beavers missed their next six shots and turned it over another four times during the eight-minute drought, and U-Mary manufactured a 46-46 tie plus momentum to boot.
Again Bachmann stepped up, though, as she converted her third three of the game for a 49-46 edge. She soon hit another jumper and, to cushion a two-point lead, found Wolhowe waiting in the corner for the game-sealing triple.
Bachmann finished her performance with 24 points and seven assists, while Rachael Heittola posted 11 points and nine rebounds in the paint.
Lauren Rotunda had 21 points alongside 11 from Macy Williams for the Mauraders.
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BSU closes the weekend with a one-game lead over Minnesota Duluth for the top spot in the NSIC North Division standings, plus a two-game lead over the rest of the field.
Bemidji State has a chance to further its surge when the Beavers host Minot State Jan. 29-30 at the BSU Gymnasium. Friday鈥檚 tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and Saturday鈥檚 matinee for 3:30 p.m.
Bemidji State 58, U-Mary 53
BSU 14 16 15 13 -- 58
U-M 14 9 16 14 -- 53
BEMIDJI STATE (5-1, 4-0 NSIC) -- Bachmann 24, Heittola 11, Myer 7, Wolhowe 6, Vold 6, Zerr 4, Bott 0, Bray 0, DuBois 0, Majewski 0, Rezabek 0. Totals: 23-51 FGs, 6-12 FTs, 58.
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U-MARY (1-5, 1-3 NSIC) -- Rotunda 21, Williams 11, Schweitzer 7, Velde 5, Kottsick 4, Gillette 3, Schneider 2, Borot 0, Doll 0, Grove 0, Shafer 0, Voit 0, Wishart 0. Totals: 23-57 FGs, 4-6 FTs, 53.
