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FAIRBANKS — The Alaska Nanooks outplayed favored Chico State for 37 minutes on Thursday.

Unfortunately for Alaska, women’s college basketball games last 40 minutes, and the Wildcats used a late rally to upend the Nanooks 68-64 in Chico, Calif.

“We didn’t make a play the last two minutes,” first-year coach Darryl Smith lamented.

A year ago, the Nanooks led then 15th-ranked Chico with five minutes remaining at the Patty Center before the Wildcats took charge. On Thursday in Acker Gym, the Nanooks were up 61-56 with 3:04 remaining but then committed three crucial turnovers and missed their final three shots.

In that same span, Chico made five free throws, a lay-up, a jumper and a 3-pointer to steal the win in their season opener.

“There’s a reason our program hasn’t been successful,” Smith said by phone. “We don’t know how to win and we’re not mentally tough, and that doesn’t happen overnight. ... It’s disheartening to outplay them for 38 minutes and get beat.”

Though Chico State, according to Smith, is as good as any team in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with the exception of Alaska Anchorage, he took no solace in Thursday’s close call.

“There are no moral victories at my age,” the longtime coach said. “I remember the first time I got beat in a game of H-O-R-S-E at age six. ... There’s nothing encouraging in a loss as far as I’m concerned. I didn’t come here and say we’ll get real good in three years.”

That Alaska was in position to win is remarkable considering it made 20 turnovers, got outrebounded, shot 38 percent and only received a combined two points from sharpshooting starters Cristina Bruketta and Nicole Bozek.

“If you would have said Bruketta and Bozek don’t make a 3(-pointer) and we’re in the game, I would have said ‘Forget it.’”

The Nanooks were seemingly in control, however, largely because of the contributions from guard Sheena Brown (21 points, five assists, three steals and six turnovers), forward Ronisha Edwards (17 points and eight rebounds) and reserve point guard La-Quita Jordan (15 points and five rebounds). Alaska also held Chico to 29.6 percent shooting in coach Brian Fogel’s debut.

Alaska led 32-30 at halftime, then early in the second half built a 12-point advantage on three consecutive 3s (one by Jordan and two from Brown). Chico, however, began chipping into its deficit and finally seized a 63-62 advantage on a Melissa Richardson’s triple with 1:34 remaining.

The Nanooks had numerous chances thereafter to end Chico’s 14-game home winning streak.

Down a point, Brown missed a jumper with 23 seconds to go, and after an offensive rebound, Jordan drove to the hoop with 17 ticks on the clock but her shot was blocked by Chico senior Renee Goldoff (18 points and 14 rebounds). Alaska’s finally opportunity came while behind 66-64, but Brown was whistled for traveling with nine seconds left after getting trapped and drawing contact from Chico defenders.

The Nanooks (1-1) have no time to dwell on the loss. In the 36th annual Coslet Classic, they play Sonoma State today at 4:30, then get a rematch with host Chico State at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Wildcats have won 17 consecutive in the Coslet Classic over the past nine tournaments.

After further consideration, Smith offered a positive of sorts from Thursday’s disappointing defeat.

“What is encouraging is we have no idea how good we could be,” he said.