ALFRED, NY – The Buffalo State women's basketball team was defeated in its season opener, 67–44, by the Alfred University Saxons.
GAME BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Alfred University – 67, Buffalo State – 44
LOCATION: Terry S. Galanis Family Arena – Alfred, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 0-1 (0-0 SUNYAC), Alfred University: 2-0 (0-0 Empire 8)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Imani McNeil (Schenectady, NY/Colonie) led all scorers with 23 points and recorded a game-high 14 rebounds, securing her first double-double as a Bengal.
- Mya Brown (Buffalo, NY/Frontier) added eight rebounds, while Naya Haymon (Homewood, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) paced the Bengals with four assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Opening their 2025–26 campaign on the road, the Buffalo State women's basketball team looked to begin the new season in the win column.
- The opening quarter proved challenging, as the Bengals struggled to find their rhythm offensively. Despite solid defensive pressure, a barrage of three-pointers from the Saxons pushed the hosts ahead, leaving the Bengals looking to reset heading into the second quarter.
- In the second frame, the Bengals began to settle in, finding more consistency on the offensive end and chipping away at the deficit. On defense, the Bengals closed out hard on the Saxons' perimeter shooters and limited their damage, but still headed into halftime trailing by double digits.
- Out of the break, the Bengals continued to battle, working to shrink the Saxons' lead in the third quarter. Though the Bengals effort remained high, the Saxons capitalized on key possessions to stay in control, sending the game into the fourth with the Bengals still facing a sizeable gap.
- In the final quarter, the Bengals matched the Saxons' pace and continued to compete, but the slow start ultimately proved too much to overcome as the Bengals fell in its season opener on the road.
FOR THE FOES
- Jaidyn Chest led the Saxons with 18 points, while Natalee Collins added 14. Both Chest and Collins recorded double-doubles, each pulling down 10 rebounds.
UP NEXT
The Bengals continue their road swing to open the season, traveling to Nazareth University on Friday, November 14
th to take on the Golden Flyers at 7:00 p.m.
