LOUDONVILLE, NY – The Siena Saints Women's Basketball team began their season at the Times Union Center, but the result did not sway in their favor as they fell to the Binghamton Bearcats by a final score of 89-62. Binghamton's Kai Moon scored a game-high 29 points in 31 minutes of play to lead the Bearcats to the win.
 
Moon shot 7-for-16 from the floor, including a 5-for-8 clip from behind the arc for Binghamton (1-0). She also swished 10-for-11 from the free throw line, and collected five rebounds and two steals. Carly Boland added 16 points and seven rebounds, and Olivia Ramil was the other Bearcat in double-figure points with 14.
 
For Siena (0-1), senior Sabrina Piper led the scoring with 16 points, including 12 in the second half. Junior Marilena Gerostergiou and freshman Julia Hauer each tossed in 11 points. Hauer stood out in her collegiate debut, tying Piper for the team lead in rebounds with seven. She also snagged a steal and a block for her resume on the night. Sophomore Margo Peterson was solid from behind the arc, making a team-high three three-pointers. Turnovers would be an issue for the Green and Gold, as they committed 20 on the night.
 
Both sides traded buckets early on as Siena's first points of the season came on the back end of a pair of free throws from Hauer less than a minute into the quarter. The score would also be her first collegiate point. But Binghamton was able to hold Siena scoreless in several spurts as they opened an 11 point lead after the first 10 minutes at 24-13.
 
With multiple scores to open the second quarter, Siena came back within seven points with 6:46 remaining in the quarter thanks to a fast break score from freshman Chyvon Thomas. That would be Siena's last score until the 2:21 mark after a jumper from Piper. By then, the Bearcats had gone on a 12-0 run, opening a 19 point lead. The Saints would fall behind by 18 as they entered the locker room at the half.
 
Siena came out firing in the second half, scoring on their first five shots of the half. It would be the highest offensive of the night for the Green and Gold in a single quarter, as they scored 17 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor. However, the Bearcats were just as hot from the floor, as they scored their highest point total of the night with 27 on 50 percent shooting, including 5-for-6 (83.3%) from beyond the arc.
 
The quarter would extend out Binghamton's lead, which they held onto through the end of the fourth. However, the Saints were able to hold Binghamton to their lowest percentage from the field, as the Bearcats went 6-for-21 and only hit one three in the fourth.
 
The Bearcats took advantage of the Siena turnovers, creating 23 points off of Siena turnovers. The Bearcats also put in 13 second chance points, and just slightly topped the Saints in the paint, with the margin just a single bucket difference, 32-30.
 
The Saints return to the floor this Saturday, Nov. 9 when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the University of Pennsylvania. Tip-off for the clash with the Quakers at the historic Palestra will go up at 12 p.m.