Box Score Bemidji State 68 Wayne State 65

            Road woes continued for the Wayne State College women's basketball team Saturday afternoon as the Wildcats dropped to 0-4 away from Rice Auditorium by suffering a 68-65 loss at Bemidji State in Northern Sun Conference basketball played at the BSU Gymnasium.  The Wildcats drop to 5-5 on the season and 3-2 in the NSIC while Bemidji State is now 5-4 and 1-4 in league play.
            The host Beavers took a 7-0 lead on WSC to start the game and built a 10-point advantage at 20-10 with 2:38 to play in the first quarter.  Bemidji State ended the first quarter 7 of 12 shooting, including four 3-pointers, to take a 21-14 lead.
            After WSC got within three at 23-20 following a pair of Sadie Murren free throws with 7:15 to play in the second quarter, the Wildcats were outscored by the Beavers 17-7 to end the second quarter giving Bemidji State a sizeable 40-27 lead at intermission.
            In the third quarter, the Wildcats cut the BSU lead to six at 46-40 on two Paige Ballinger free throws at the 4:35 mark of the third quarter.  Bemidji State pushed the lead back to 10 at 56-46 before the Wildcats made a run to eventually take the lead.
            WSC went on a 12-0 run over the next 4:36 and took their biggest lead of the game at 58-56 on a Alisa Petersen layup with 7:06 to play in the fourth quarter.
            But that would be the last time the Wildcats held the lead as Bemidji State responded to regain the lead for good.
            Junior guard Hanna Zerr made one of two free throws followed by a layup to put BSU ahead 59-58.  A Sierra Senske layup gave the Beavers a 61-58 lead with 4:23 remaining.
            After WSC got within one at 63-62 on a Ballinger jumper with 2:03 to play, the Beavers used an Aimee Pelzer 3-pointer to put BSU ahead 66-62.  After a Murren layup cut the lead to two at 66-64, BSU got an offensive rebound on a missed shot and WSC had to foul as Pelzer drained two charity tosses with seven seconds to play sealing the win.
            Wayne State made 23 of 52 shots from the field for 44.2 percent.  The 'Cats were just 1 of 9 behind the arc and 18 for 27 at the free throw line.
            Sophomore center Paige Ballinger led the Wildcats with 17 points followed by Sadie Murren with 15.  Sophomore forward Maggie Schulte added a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
            Bemidji State ended the game making 26 of 66 shots from the field (39.4%) after going 15 for 29 (51.7%) in the first half.  The Beavers were 9 of 24 from 3-point range and 7 for 9 at the free throw line.
            Tatum Sheley scored a game-high 22 points followed by Aimee Pelzer with 16. 
            The rebounding battle saw BSU with one more than WSC, 39-38.  Pelzer had eight caroms for the Beavers while Schulte led all rebounders with 10 for Wayne State.  WSC had 11 turnovers in the game to just nine for BSU.  The Wildcats held a 30-24 edge on points in the paint and 17-9 in bench scoring.  Sophomore Kacie O'Connor had four of Wayne State's 10 assists in the contest.
            Wayne State will be on the road again next weekend with a Saturday afternoon contest at Augustana beginning at 4 p.m.