The Bemidji State University men’s basketball team fell in its season opener Tuesday 101-88 at Michigan Tech University. BSU was led by junior transfer James Ellisor’s (Glendale, Ariz.) 25 points.

“In the first half we didn’t play at the level we need towin Division II games,” said head coach MattBowen. “I give credit to Michigan Tech, they came out with better executionand got us down early. With our youth and amount of new guys at differentpositions it took a few minutes to find a rhythm, but as the game went on we gotbetter.”

First game tendencies showed for BSU to start the game, as sloppyplay and a lack of early offense by the Beavers put the road team in a holethey would never get out of. After five minutes of play, two free throws from juniorJake Lindstrom (G, Cottage Grove,Minn.) put BSU down 14-5. In the first five minutes of the season, the Beaversshot 1-for-5 from the field and committed three turnovers. Lindstrom’s two freethrows started a 6-3 run for the Beavers that made the score 17-9, putting BSUdown eight with 13:52 remaining in the first half.

The eight point deficit would be as close as the Beaverswould get for the remainder of the game as the Huskies consistently shot theball well, posting 54.5 percent from the field in the first half and 51.4percent in the second, while committing just 11 turnovers to BSU’s 15 andgrabbing nine steals. The Huskies outscored BSU 26-12 in the points offturnovers category and 16-7 in second chance points.

The Beavers won the second half 57-52, thanks mostly tofinding a rhythm offensively and shooting 7-for-10 from beyond the arc in theframe. Ellisor scored 19 of his 25 in the second half, shooting 7-of-7 from theline in the second and 9-of-9 overall.

Ellisor also led the team in rebounds with six. Seniorforward Pat Cassidy (St. Paul,Minn.) scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Sophomores Mason Walters (F,Milton, Wis.) and Burke Lendl (G/F, St. Michael, Minn.)posted 13 and 10 points, respectively