LOUDONVILLE, NY - The second season of the Terry Primm era officially commences Tuesday evening when Siena Women's Basketball welcomes the Colgate Raiders to the UHY Center to open the 2025-26 season at 6 p.m. 
 
Tickets to Tuesday's season opener start at $10 for adults/seniors and $7 for children, and can be secured in advance online (fees apply), or purchased on gameday at the UHY Center Box Office, located inside the Schmitz Lobby. 
 
Picked fifth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, Primm's Saints are coming off the program's first national postseason appearance in 10 seasons after qualifying for the 2025 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The new-look "Built for Speed" Saints were as advertised in the team's lone public exhibition against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Oct. 29, defeating their Capital Region foes 97-47, while five players scored in double figures —four of whom were returners, and the other was Alden Yergey, who missed 2024-25 due to injury. 
 
Freshman Francesca Schiro scored a game-high 18 points in just 22 minutes of work in the exhibition, going 7-11 from the field and 3-6 from deep. Schiro, the only player in Hillsborough High School history to eclipse 2,000 career points, notably scored 15 of Siena's 24 third quarter points. Additionally, former Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team selection Nicole Melious dropped 17 points (6-15 FG, 5-12 3PT) and led the team with five assists and five steals, while Jamariah Turner was lights-out from the field —shooting 6-8 (4-6 3PT) for 16 points.  
 
Colgate completed its second consecutive 20-win season in 2024-25, going 23-10 overall and 13-5 in the Patriot League. The Raiders fell to Bucknell in the Patriot League Quarterfinals before going on to play a home game in the WNIT, where they would lose 58-48 to Coppin State. First-year head coach and former Siena Assistant Coach (2015-17) Shannon Bush returns three of five players who started 26 or more games last season on a team that ranked second in the Patriot League, averaging 68.1 PPG, as well as third, allowing 57.8 PPG to opponents. One aforementioned returner, Anne Bair, is back for her senior season after ranking second on the team and 11th in the league with 12.4 PPG. 
 
The Saints enjoy a 19-5 lead in the all-time series entering the 25th meeting between the programs. The Saints and Raiders met 15 times from 1981-90 before not playing again until the 2010-11 season. Since then, the programs have clashed nine times, where Siena holds a 6-3 edge, including a 4-1 record at home. Valencia Fontenelle-Posson suited up the last time the teams met three years ago and scored eight points to go with seven boards and three assists in a 62-58 Siena win in Hamilton, NY. 
 
Notably, Garrisen Freeman matched up against the Raiders last season during her time with Cal State Bakersfield and scored seven points on 3-for-7 shooting from the field over 29 minutes.
 
Emmanuel Berbari and Brian Rubino will have the call on ESPN+, with Steve Jones on hand for sideline reporting. Joe Puccio returns for his second season of play-by-play coverage on WVCR 88.3 and will be joined by Steve Amedio for his 16th season of analysis. Live stats and courtside X updates can be found by clicking on the corresponding links as well. 
 
Following Colgate, Siena hits the road for the first time in 2025-26 to take on Massachusetts on Saturday, Nov. 8. Tip-off from Mullins Center in Amherst, MA, is set for 2 p.m.