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. 23, 2000
By Devlyn Brooks
The Beavers women's basketball team has struggled to find consistent post play all season, and they were hampered by it again Saturday, falling 83-74 to Southwest State at home.
The Beavers, although hanging with SSU in the first half, fell apart in the second. They scored only five field goals from inside the three point line in that half and let the Mustangs run wild. SSU center Amy Boman finished with a game high 19 points -- most of which was scored from inside the paint.
"We're struggling with our post play offensively and defensively," BSU coach Doreen Zierer said. "We have got to get more out of our post play. If we had the answer, we'd solve it now."
Much like all season, the Beavers (5-12, 3-6 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) played stellar ball in the first half, even jumping out to a 15-8 lead before allowing the Mustangs to sneak back into the contest. It took SSU (10-7, 6-3 NSIC) nine minutes to knot the game at 17-17, and BSU battled tough for the remainder of the half.
With just ticks on the clock left in the half, the Beaver's Elizabeth Sievert sank a layup to tie the game at 39-39.
After the half, the Beavers still hung with the high-ranked Mustangs, posting a 48-45 lead on a Sievert trey about four minutes into the second period.
After three more lead changes, the Beavers again tied the score at 56-56 on a Peggy Hammel-Moran free throw with 11:19 left in the game. But that's where the Beavers' fortune turned for the worst.
The Mustangs then rattled off a 18-4 run, fueled by two buckets by Frye and Shelli Schoeneck each, to post a 74-60 lead.
The second half wasn't without its drama, however, BSU's Sievert nailed three treys in a three minute stretch late to pull the Beavers within four points at 76-72. But a costly Beavers' defensive breakdown with 49 seconds left gave the Mustangs a breakaway Boman layup to spark a 7-2 run to finish the game.
"We thought that they were a little down in size, and we could exploit that. And I think (them) not being as deep on the bench wore on them a bit," Mustang coach Kelly Kruger said. "Bu they didn't go away. That's a credit to them."
Zierer said she doesn't know why the Beavers have crumbled so many times in the second half this year, especially during the Mustang's 18-4 run.
"We'll play you some great first halves," she said, "but I don't know what happens in the second. As word spreads, and scouting reports get around, teams are attacking our (post players) hard, and we're struggling."
Beaver Notes:
Zierer said Beaver forward/center Katie Olson, who has been out since the Dec. 13 Michigan Tech game with a torn ACL, may play next weekend versus Moorhead State and Minnesota-Crookston. She has missed 10 games.
Southwest State's Boman scored a career high 19 pints versus the Beavers.
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