BEMIDJI, Minn – The Concordia-St. Paul women's basketball team (7-8, 4-6 NSIC) fell to Bemidji State (5-10, 2-9 NSIC) on Friday night, 70-67. The Golden Bears led by as many as 15 before the Beavers' valiant second half comeback that included three ties and 12 lead changes, with the lead changing eight times in the fourth quarter. The loss drops CSP to 0-3 in 2023.

Concordia jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead with six of those points coming from Raegan Alexander. The Bears would extend their lead to 18-4 before the Beavers began to answer, scoring three of the quarter's last five baskets to close out the quarter down 22-11. The CSP women were 9-of-19 (47.4-percent) in the quarter and were protective of the basketball as they ended the quarter with no turnovers while forcing four from BSU.

The Golden Bears continued to perform well in the second quarter, outscoring Bemidji State 17-14. The Bears shooting dropped to 35-percent  in the period, but were able to put up 20 shots thanks to a 7-0 advantage in offensive rebounds leading to an 8-0 advantage in second chance points. Jadyn Hanson scored the final three baskets in the quarter to give Concordia a 39-25 lead at the half.

The Beavers came out firing in the third quarter, going on a 15-4 run while shooting 52.9-percent from the field (9-of-17). They also turned up the defensive pressure, forcing five CSP turnovers that they converted into eight points. Freshman forward Alyssa Hill led the charge with 12 of Bemidji's 20 third quarter points. The Beavers as whole were tough in the paint, outscoring the Golden Bears 16-4 in that area. A Sarah Kuma 3-pointer and Hanson layup to close out the quarter kept Concordia ahead 48-45 going into the fourth. 

The fourth quarter was back and forth with eight lead changes and two ties. A 7-2 run through the three minutes of the quarter gave Bemidji their first lead since the opening basket of the game, 52-50. Four different Concordia players scored to put the Golden Bears back in the lead, but with 57-seconds left, a jumper from BSU's player of the game Trinity Yoder put the Beavers in the lead for good . Yoder would seal it with two free throws for a game high 22 points and give Bemidji the comeback win 70-67.

Each team made 28 shots and had a similar shooting efficiency with CSP shooting 42.4 percent from the field and BSU shooting 48.3 percent. The difference in the game from behind the arc, as the Beavers hitting five 3-pointers while the Bears were only able to connect on three.

Concordia had four players score in double digits for just the second time this season as Alexander (10), Hanson (13), Jalyn Shaw (10) and Megan Gamble all put up 10 or more. Gamble led the team scoring with 14 points, going 6-of-9 from the field and 2-2 from the foul line. The sophomore forward also had seven rebounds and an assist. 

The CSP women are back on the hardwood tomorrow, taking on Minnesota Crookston on the road. Tip-off against the Golden Eagles is 3:30 p.m.