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BEMIDJI -- A tally in the loss column won鈥檛 turn many heads, but the Bemidji State women鈥檚 basketball team is walking out of the season opener with optimism.

鈥淥bviously you鈥檇 love to come away with the W. But a lot of good things happened,鈥� BSU head coach Chelsea DeVille said. 鈥淣o moral victories, ever, but after the game, I鈥檓 definitely focused on positives and things we can adjust for tomorrow.鈥�

Not all losses are created equal, and such was the case on Saturday in the Beavers鈥� 63-62 loss to Minnesota State at the BSU Gymnasium.

鈥�(The takeaway) is definitely excitement,鈥� sophomore Rachael Heittola said. 鈥淛ust to know we鈥檙e that close with the No. 1-ranked team in the South, it really says a lot.鈥�

The Mavericks (1-0) were the preseason pick to win the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division, but Bemidji State (0-1) showed no signs of backing down. The Beavers overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half and came within a point of making a statement to the league in their first game since February.

鈥淪ometimes we don鈥檛 enjoy the games because there鈥檚 so much pressure going into them,鈥� DeVille said. 鈥淭his was a heck of a lot of fun. 鈥� (We just need) a little more fight and to play a little better, obviously, because we want to play to win.鈥�

Turnovers plagued BSU, however, and that was their ultimate undoing for an MSU team that feasted off 20 of them. Minnesota State鈥檚 full-court pressure forced hasty decisions and a scrambled offense, and 14 turnovers contributed to 19 Maverick points in the first half alone.

But there was good to be found, as well. Heittola reprised the dominance that landed her on the NSIC鈥檚 All-Freshman Team a year ago, and senior Brooklyn Bachmann took charge of the offense when she needed to. The duo kept the score respectable at 21-18 through a quarter and then 38-28 by halftime.

The locker room adjustments paid dividends, as the Beavers came out more poised and better suited to handle the pressure MSU threw their way. And soon enough, Bemidji State was dictating the game.

鈥淲e took Mankato out of their press, which is their bread and butter,鈥� DeVille said. 鈥淲e turned the ball over 14 times in the first half, and really in the type of way that we did against them last year: panicking, hot potato, get-rid-of-it type of passes that we just can鈥檛 do. The second half was a totally different story with our composure, and it got them out of their press because we were getting some really good looks.鈥�

Sydney Zerr raced to the hoop for a fast-break layup midway through the third quarter, good for a 6-0 run that brought BSU within 41-37. They never got closer in the third, but Heittola made a go-ahead layup with 4 minutes, 18 seconds left in the fourth.

Minnesota State responded, but Bachmann drained a 3-pointer with 2:15 to play -- the Beavers鈥� only triple all day -- for a 58-57 edge.

But MSU played poised themselves, scoring the next six points and restoring a healthy cushion with 18.4 seconds remaining. Bachmann made two free throws, drew a charge and watched Trinity Myer make a layup with 1.9 seconds to go, but the comeback stopped there at 63-62.

It was a loss, yes, but one that showed potential.

鈥淛ust a couple things (need to improve), and it鈥檚 nothing big,鈥� said Heittola, citing the turnovers and a 1-for-13 clip on threes. 鈥淲e all did our jobs, we all did really well. We gave them a run for their money.鈥�

Heittola finished with 20 points, while Bachmann had 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting along with nine rebounds. Rylee Menster and Rachel Shumski led the Mavericks with 12 points apiece.

Free throws also played a big factor, as BSU shot 19-for-23 from the charity stripe while Minnesota State went 7-for-18.

鈥淲e need to take care of the basketball better, and I sure as heck hope we don鈥檛 shoot that poorly from behind the arc the whole year,鈥� DeVille said. 鈥淲e had some great looks -- the right shots at the right times -- but they鈥檒l fall for us tomorrow hopefully.鈥�

The teams will do it all over again at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 3, back at the BSU Gymnasium to wrap up the nonconference series.

Minnesota State 63, Bemidji State 62

MSU 21 17 11 14 -- 63

BSU 18 10 15 19 -- 62

MINNESOTA STATE (1-0) -- Menster 12, Shumski 12, Batt 10, Stuttley 9, Fett 8, Tonsfeldt 6, Polson 4, Fuller 2, Guidinger 0, Olson 0, Nachazel 0. Totals 27-69 FGs, 7-18 FTs, 63.

BEMIDJI STATE (0-1) -- Heittola 20, Bachmann 16, Myer 9, Bray 6, DuBois 4, Rezabek 3, Vold 2, Zerr 2, Wolhowe 0. Totals 21-50 FGs, 19-23 FTs, 62.

1/8: BSU basketball coaches from left: Chelsea DeVille, Jamie Schultz and Erica Gartner speak at the BSU Gymnasium on Saturday. This marks the first season since 1999-2000 that Bemidji State has an all-female coaching staff. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

2/8: Bemidji State junior Trinity Myer (14) soars to the hoop in a game Saturday against Minnesota State at the BSU Gymnasium. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

3/8: The Beavers celebrate from the bench during a game Saturday against Minnesota State at the BSU Gymnasium. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

4/8: Bemidji State sophomore Taylor Vold (33) guards Minnesota State鈥檚 Brooke Tonsfeldt (32) in a game Saturday at the BSU Gymnasium. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

5/8: The Beavers celebrate a call in a game Saturday against Minnesota State at the BSU Gymnasium. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

6/8: Bemidji State sophomore Rachael Heittola (32) reaches for a rebound in a game Saturday against Minnesota State at the BSU Gymnasium. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

7/8: Bemidji State senior Brooklyn Bachmann (12) shoots in a game Saturday against Minnesota State at the BSU Gymnasium. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

8/8: The Beavers celebrate from the bench during a game Saturday against Minnesota State at the BSU Gymnasium. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)