Bemidji girls basketball dominates Hibbing, Senior Night ends on high note

Bemidji’s girls basketball team delivered a statement performance on Senior Night, cruising to a 73 to 23 victory over Hibbing at Bemidji State University on December 11. After a close start, the Lumberjacks turned defense into offense and built a 44 to 14 halftime lead thanks to a 36 to 7 run, then held Hibbing to just 9 second half points.

The final moments drew one of the loudest cheers of the evening when senior Kayce Christiansen, who does not often shoot from long range, hit a 3 point basket for the final points. “I usually don’t (shoot from 3),” she said. “I don't have a lot of confidence. But when I do, I guess it happens.” Christiansen finished with 9 points, and said the chance to play on Senior Night was meaningful. “It’s always exciting for me to just get out there,” she said.

Bemidji’s defensive adjustments were credited with shutting down Hibbing’s early third point threat, Ava Egan, who had made two 3 pointers in the opening 17 minutes. “One of the goals in the second half was to shut down Hibbing’s Ava Egan, who made two 3s in the opening 17 minutes. The Jacks' defense held Egan scoreless in the second half,” assistant coach Travis Peterson said. He added, “We gave up some open 3s to a hot shooter there in the first half, and the girls really adjusted to that. That was a goal of ours, to contain her, which they did.”

Offensively Bemidji spread the scoring. Senior Anysia Pink led with 16 points, Clara Bieber contributed 11 and Christiansen added 9. Other scorers included Wilde with 9, A. Thompson with 8, Sherwood with 8, LaZella with 8 and Daman with 4. Senior Liv Thompson was noted for orchestrating the defense, typically guarding the opponent’s primary ball handler and applying consistent pressure.

The game was moved from the Bemidji High School gym to the university because of hoop issues, a change that required players to adapt to three different 3 point lines painted on the court for men’s, women’s and high school play. The visual differences complicated spacing at times, but did not dim the celebratory atmosphere for seniors and fans.

For the local community the lopsided win reinforces Bemidji’s defensive identity and provides momentum for the rest of the season while honoring the contributions of seniors. The strong bench reaction and visible crowd support on Senior Night underscored the program’s role in Beltrami County sports and the town’s appetite for high school athletics.