Bemidji, Minn.— The Golden Eagles traveled to Bemidji to take on the Bemidji State University Beavers in the NSIC opener for both teams.
 
It was a thriller that went into Overtime. The Beavers outscored the Golden Eagles 16-15 in the extra stanza for a 96-95 win in overtime.
 
With the win, the Beavers move to 1-0 in the NSIC and 4-1 overall. The loss drops the Golden Eagles to 0-1 in the NSIC and 6-3 overall.
 
The Beavers would come out quickly of the gates quick, jumping out to an 8-5 lead over the Golden Eagles, with the help of back-to-back buckets from Derek Thompson.
 
It would continue to be a back and forth affair between these travel partners in the NSIC. Jacob Hoffman, the Beavers sophomore guard from Denmark would drain a deep three from the top of the key for a 13-9 Beavers lead. Ben Juhl (So. G, Clive, Iowa) said whatever you can do, I can do better, as he drained a three from the left elbow to cut the Beavers lead to one. The Beavers led 15-12 at the first media timeout.
 
The Golden Eagles would trail midway through the first half, before Josh Collins (Sr., F, Minneapolis, Minn.) threw down an alley-oop from Juhl to give the Golden Eagles their first lead since early in the half. Harrison Cleary (Jr. G, Oak Creek, Wis.) scored five straight points to push the Golden Eagles run to 7-0 to make it 25-19.
 
Bemidji State would counter with their own 7-0 run to take a 26-25 lead highlighted by a Zach Baumgartner old-fashioned three point play.
 
Malcolm Cohen (R-Jr. G/F, Detroit, Mich.) would hit the Golden Eagles first field goal in over six minutes with a three from the left elbow to cut the Beavers lead to just one at 31-30.
 
Cohen would hit another three, followed by Cleary's third three of the half to make it a 37-36 Beaver lead heading into the second half.
 
The first half would see seven lead changes, with the Golden Eagles largest lead being six at 25-19.
 
Cleary and Collins would be the only two in double-figures in the first stanza, scoring 13 and 10 respectively.
 
Minnesota Crookston shot 41 percent in the first half. The three-point line was big in the first half, as the Golden Eagles shot 50 percent from deep.
 
After the Golden Eagles took the lead at 40-39, Bemidji State would answer with a 6-0 run to take a 45-40 lead, powered by back-to-back threes from Jacob Hoffman and Ja Morgan.
 
Chase Knickerbocker (Sr., G/F, Annandale, Minn.) would hit his first three of the game to cut into the Beavers lead at 57-55 with just over 10 minutes left in the ballgame. A possession after the Knickerbocker three, Gable Smith (R-Sr., F, Lodi, Wis.) would tie the game at 57 with a left-handed layup.
 
After a Harrison Cleary driving layup cut the BSU lead to two, Logan Longo would hit back-to-back threes for the Beavers to make it 69-61 late in the second half.
 
Minnesota Crookston would go on an 8-3 run to cut the Beaver lead to three at 72-69.
 
A free throw made it 73-69, before the Golden Eagles would tie it behind an old-fashioned three point play from Cleary, and Brian Sitzmann (R-Fr., Savage, Minn.) going one for three from the free throw line, after getting fouled on a three point attempt.
 
The two teams would than trade baskets, leaving it tied at 75 apiece. Minnesota Crookston would take the lead on a Juhl pull-up jumper. Knickerbocker would knock down a three on the following possession to put the Golden Eagles up 80-75.
 
After the Knickerbocker three, Logan Longo would hit a three, and after the shot, it was a defensive foul to send the Beavers to the line with a chance to tie it at 80. Jacob McNallan would hit both to send the game to overtime at 80.
 
Overtime wouldn't be much different than a majority of the ballgame, with both teams trading baskets. Ja Morgan would get the basket and the foul to give the Beavers a four point lead at 90-86.
 
Sitzmann would come down on the other end and make a huge three from the right corner, to cut the Beaver lead to one.
 
The Beavers would make their free throws down the stretch, to finish off the victory 96-95, over the Golden Eagles.