by BEMIDJI, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris women’s basketball team dropped a non-conference matchup to NCAA Division II opponent Bemidji State University on Saturday afternoon. The Beavers used 45 points off the bench to pull away for a 77-58 win over the Cougars, dropping UMN Morris to 1-4 on the season.
A tough start to the contest put the game away in the early minutes. Bemidji State bolted out to a 20-2 lead in just over six minutes, with only a bucket from Lexus Eagle Chasing (Cheyenne River Sioux/Omaha Tribe) to get the Cougars on the board. Minnesota Morris played well over the final minutes of the quarter, but a shot at the buzzer by the Beavers gave them a 27-12 lead through 10 minutes.
Eagle Chasing accounted for all seven points in a 7-0 run by Minnesota Morris midway through the second quarter to slice the deficit to 34-21. Bemidji State then regained control and went to the half holding a 44-24 lead.
The third quarter began with an 11-2 run for the Beavers in the first five minutes to stretch the margin to 55-26. The lead for Bemidji State peaked at 32 points early in the fourth quarter before Minnesota Morris started to come back. In just over three minutes, the Cougars went on a 14-0 run that included four straight field goals from Justine Day to make it 71-56. By that time, less than two minutes remained and Bemidji State was able to hold on to the end.
Day and Eagle Chasing each scored 11 points on the day. Malory Anderson, Jay Kwateh, and Haley Wollschlager all added seven. Anderson secured a team-high nine boards.
