HOUGHTON, Mich. – Bemidji State University Women's Basketball fell in their season opener to Michigan Technological University Friday afternoon. The Beavers were led by forward Rachel Koenig with 15 points while Ella Giorgi led at the rim with eight rebounds. 
 
The Beavers struggled to find a spark at the start of the game, allowing 11 unanswered points over the first three minutes and 20 seconds. That was until Ashlynne Guenther grabbed the Beavers' first points of the night off an unassisted jumper. Michigan Tech grabbed the lead early and never gave it away, the Huskies didn't even allow a tied score once the entire game. 
 
Junior forward Rachel Koenig grabbed the top scoring spot for the Beavers, marking 15 points with six field goals and three free throws. She also grabbed four rebounds and an assist, coming off the bench for just 12 minutes. Ella Giorgi led the rebounding charge for the Green and White, tabbing four offensive boards and four defensive. Kendra Syverson tallied the best shooting percentage, coming off the bench for four minutes and going two-for-two on field goals and two-for-two at the free-throw line.
 
All together, the Beavers shot .354 percent from the field and .222 percent at the arc. From the free-throw line, the Beavers earned seven good baskets off of 11 attempts for a shooting percentage of .636. They grabbed 26 points in the paint, 13 off second chance opportunities and the bench players dominated, grabbing a total of 45 points. BSU marked 34 total rebounds and 12 assists, plus three steals.
 
The Beavers now travel to Marquette, Mich. to take on the Northern Michigan University Wildcats Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. CST. Following this trip to Michigan, the Beavers open their home season with the University of Minnesota Morris next Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. from the BSU Gymnasium.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State women's basketball program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversWBB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and like them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversWBB).
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).