LOUDONVILLE, NY — Siena Women's Basketball fell to the Colgate Raiders 53-43 on Tuesday at the UHY Center in the team's 2025-26 season opener.
 
Jamariah Turner led the Saints with 13 points and three steals. Caydence Hadley contributed significantly on the boards with a career-high seven rebounds, alongside six points. Garrisen Freeman made a defensive impact with two blocks while adding five rebounds. Francesca Schiro added six points and two steals to the team's efforts, while Nicole Melious added six points alongside five rebounds.
 
The teams exchanged the lead multiple times in the first quarter, with Siena relying heavily on points in the paint, totaling eight.  Despite Siena's strong defensive play, including four steals, the Raiders held a narrow lead through a series of successful 3-pointers and layups. Hadley's free throws with 43 seconds left briefly gave Siena a one-point lead. However, a late layup by Anne Bair ensured the Raiders ended the quarter ahead, 12-11.
 
Siena leveraged a series of strategic plays to keep pace with the Raiders during the second quarter. Schiro's free throws early on gave the Saints a brief advantage, but the Raiders kept the score tight. Despite the Raiders' resistance, Siena's Dallas Pierce's free throw edged them ahead 21-20 near the quarter's end. Alden Yergey's jumper extended the lead to 23-20, but a late 3-pointer by Lara Cook of the Raiders tied the game at 23-23 as the quarter concluded.
 
In the third quarter, Siena started strong with Freeman scoring a layup to give Siena an early lead. Despite Siena's efforts, including a layup by Genevive Wedemeyer, who achieved a career-high three assists, the Raiders responded and eventually tied the game. Siena struggled with turnovers and missed opportunities while the Raiders capitalized, pulling ahead with a series of successful shots, including a crucial 3-pointer by Amarah Streiff at 4:04. The quarter ended with Siena trailing the Raiders, 38-31.
 
Siena fought to keep pace with the Raiders in the final quarter, as Melious contributed vital points with a pair of free throws at 8:18 and a critical 3-pointer at 5:19, narrowing the gap. Turner also added a significant layup at 6:01, bringing Siena within three points. Despite Siena's efforts, including a 3-pointer by Turner at 0:31, the Raiders managed to maintain their lead through efficient free-throw shooting, ultimately concluding the game with a 53-43 victory over Siena.
 
Siena will hit the road for the first time this season to take on Massachusetts on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. at Mullins Center in Amherst, MA.