BSU hosting just its second game this season

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Dec. 18, 1998

By Devlyn Brooks

The Beavers men's basketball team will host just its second home game of the year today, when Northwestern of Minnesota invades BSU Gymnasium.

The Eagles -- a team with the same record and similar statistics as the Beavers -- should present an interesting challenge for BSU.

Not only have both teams battled to .500 records through 10 games, but each averages about 75 points a game, 30-plus rebounds per game and shoots about 36 percent from beyond the three-point line.

"It should be a good game," Beavers coach Dave Gunther said. "(Northwestern's) a good team, with lots of experience. They're quick, shoot lots of threes and are a good offensive rebounding team."

Northwestern starts three players averaging double-digits in scoring, led by Dan Westin at 19.8 points a game.

The Eagles also return most of their players from last year. So the Beavers should see some familiar faces.

The Beavers, however, probably haven't been focusing as closely on this game as they have others. Today's contest follows a week of final exams at Bemidji State, and even their practices have been cut short for that reason.

However, Gunther said his team is ready to play.

"(Finals) are something we have to deal with," he said.

Offensively, he would like to see his team rebounding more, he said, but that the team is playing better each game.

Defensively, the Beavers can't afford a lot of errors.

"We've got to play good defense against them. They're a good ball-handling team ... good passing team," he added. "We've got to contain them."

The Beavers will look to their leading scorer, B.J. LaVelle, to have another big night as he posted his career high (34) at a tournament this weekend. He also averaged 18.7 points, three assists, 1.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals in last week's three games -- earning him Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference player of the week.

The Eagles do have history on their side as they enter tonight's game; they have won both meetings during the Gunter era.

Beaver notes:

• Gunter said he is unsure if Caron, the Beavers' usual starting center, will take the floor as a starter because he has been ill this week. If he doesn't start, forward Larry Smith will fill in for him. LaVelle, Mac Smith, Seth Greenwaldt and Carlos Barnes will remain at their usual spots.

• The NCAA announced this week the Beavers were ranked sixth in the country in field goal percentage as of Dec. 13. After 10 games, BSU is shooting 51 percent from the field and has connected on 282-of-553 shots. "We've been getting good shots," Gunther said of the feat. "Our shot selection has been getting better so that helps your shooting percentage."

• BSU is hosting a free basketball night during the Northwestern contest, during which the first 100 youth (grades 1-6) attending today's game will receive a free Beaver basketball. BSU players will be on hand after the game to distribute the basketballs.