BEMIDJI, Minn. -- Junior guard Mohamed Kone recorded his first career double-double to help Bemidji State University men’s basketball to a near double-digit comeback Friday night during a 71-57 loss to No. 7 Northern State University at BSU Gymnasium. Kone set career-highs with 18 points and 13 rebounds as the Beavers fall to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

Kone opened scoring in the game with his first career 3-pointer at BSU which stood as the only lead of the game for the Beavers. The Wolves answered with a 3-pointer of their own that sparked a quick 7-0 run. Following a layup from junior forward Cody Landwehr less than one minute after, NSU held BSU scoreless over the next four minutes. The Beavers went 0-of-6 from the field with two turnovers given away to face a 13-5 deficit with 13:19 in the first half.

Despite a first-half-high 13-point, 27-14 deficit, the Beavers fought back with a 9-0 run to pull within four points of the Wolves. It was the closest BSU could pull within NSU over the final 4:25 of the half as the Beavers went into the halftime break facing a 37-29 deficit.

Bemidji State’s trailed by about 10 points for the majority of the second half until senior forward Derek Thompson put in his second basket of the night on a second-chance opportunity. The layup was the beginning of a 6-0 run for the Beavers that brought the squad within four points of the Wolves, 55-51. Bemidji State had two chances cut the game to one possession out of a Northern State timeout but missed a 3-pointer and contested layup to allow NSU to begin a run of their own over the final minutes.

The Beavers finished the final 6:28 of the game without giving away a turnover but shot 2-of-10 from the field compared to 5-of-8 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line.

Bemidji State shot 33.9 percent from the field (21-62), 28.6 percent from 3-point range (8-28), and 100.0 percent from the free-throw line (7-7), and allowed Northern State to score 30 points in the paint and 16 fast break points. The Wolves shot 41.7 percent from the field (25-60), 46.7 percent from beyond the arc (7-15), and 73.7 percent from the free-throw line (14-19).

Bemidji State and Northern State close out their doubleheader weekend with a 3:30 p.m. tip-off Saturday at BSU Gymnasium.

For more information on the Bemidji State athletic programs, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeavers), or like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers).

Nestled in Northern Minnesota’s wooded region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

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