Gunther wins first against NSU

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.

Jan. 9, 2000

By Devlyn Brooks

Two straight nights. Two straight wins.

The Bemidji State men's basketball team might think about scheduling all of its Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference opponents back to back.

A gritty Beavers (5-8 overall, 3-2 NSIC) defense pulled out a 77-70 come-from-behind victory over Northern State (5-9, 2-4 NSIC) Saturday at BSU Gymnasium, ruining former Bagley High School star Dan Fischer's final homecoming.

"Our defense came up big. The kids have worked hard, and the defense has improved a lot," said BSU coach Dave Gunther. "We forced some turnovers, and that enabled us to score some points."

Energized from a 93-76 win at home over Minnesota-Morris Friday, the Beavers pounced on the Wolves, taking an early 14-5 lead five minutes into the first half. The run was fueled largely by two Matt Sporcic three-pointers and a deadly inside combo of Larry and Mac Smith, scoring the next eight.

But six minutes into the game, the shell-shocked Wolves slowly chipped away. The Wolves' strong inside game helped NSU knot the score at 20-20 with about 8:30 left in the half.

"We went on a run to start off, and then they came back," Mac Smith said about the first half. "But they came back. They're a good team, and it's a game of runs. Each team is going to have its runs."

The remaining eight minutes of the game resembled a heavyweight boxing match, with each team giving up a bucket here, and racing down court to even the act. BSU spent a good portion of that time on the free throw line, with Chad Nelson nailing two and Ken Ponto converting a bonus shot after sinking a short jumper -- efforts that gave BSU a 36-36 tie shortly before half.

The Wolves' Jared Miller then sank his own free throw with a few seconds remaining to give NSU a 37-36 halftime lead.

The key for BSU, along with its stalwart defense, was its inside game throughout the game. Larry and Mac Smiths' athleticism -- evident in their 19 and 23 points respectively -- produced many opportunities and confused the Wolves.

"They made some early threes, and maybe we should have doubled down more. But that's a touch call to make," NSU coach Don Meyer said. "They did a great job of getting inside."

BSU's key stretch in the second half was a seven-minute period in which they turned a nine-point deficit into a one-point lead. After BSU's defense clamped down, NSU's offense sputtered, and the Beavers converted on their turnovers.

"We kept doing what worked. The inside game was working," said Mac Smith, who also led BSU with eight rebounds. "Every team we play, I think we have an advantage inside."

NSU's Meyer agreed, "They made a lot of trips to the free throw line. That's where they won the game."

Beaver Notes:

• BSU's win over the Wolves was the first in Gunther's five-year stint.

• This is the second straight season Fischer's homecoming was ruined. Last year, Fischer played the first 10 minutes of the BSU game before hurting an ankle and missing the rest of the game. "It's not how I wanted to play, but this isn't the important time," he said. "With the NSIC tournament this year, everybody has a shot to make regions."