Women's Basketball Cruises To Season-Opening Win

ALFRED, N.Y. – Four different student-athletes reached double-digit point scoring totals as the Wells College women's basketball team rolled to a 70-54 win against Alfred University on Friday at the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena. Wells (1-0) has won its fourth season-opener since the team's modern-era debut in 2010 while Alfred (0-1) picks up its second-straight loss to the Express.

Junior Ashida Cooper (Bensalem, Pa.) racked up 20 points for the Express in her debut, shooting 9-for-15 from the floor while posting a team-leading four steals. Senior Holli Erkson (Cooperstown, N.Y.) registered 16 points and nine rebounds while sophomore Kamarie Maturine (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had an outstanding first game, hauling in a team-leading 18 rebounds and scoring 13 points.

Maturine also led the way with three blocks on defense. Senior Lindsay Achzet (Johnstown, N.Y.) tallied 10 points and three assists while freshman Shelby Medovich (Harpursville, N.Y.) reached double-digit rebounds (10) in her collegiate debut. Overall, Wells outrebounded the Saxons by a 57-to-31 margin.

Wells opened up two six-point leads in the first quarter, using an Achzet layup with 4:36 left to capture an 8-2 lead before her jumper with 2:04 left once again created a six-point lead for the Express at 12-6.

Alfred rallied in the second quarter, taking a game-high five point lead at 20-15 following an Amanda Off layup with 6:51 left in the first half. However, a layup by Erkson put Wells ahead by a 21-20 score and the team never looked back, eventually building a 31-25 lead at the half. Across a time span of 10:23 near the midpoint of the game, Wells had scored 27 of the game's 32 points.

Wells opened the third quarter on an 11-0 run, establishing a commanding 42-25 lead with 6:12 remaining in the stanza. Alfred made a brief comeback attempt, cutting the score to 48-45 with 6:15 left in regulation time, but the Express concluded the game with a 22-to-6 run across the next 5:07 to put the game out of reach.

Off led the Saxons with a double-double, scoring 18 points alongside 11 rebounds. McKaylee Croll posted four assists and Sarah Kichman had a team-leading four takeaways.

Wells returns to action Wednesday, Nov. 18 as it hosts D'Youville College in a 7 p.m. contest in the Farenthold Athletic Wing. The Express will play the first game in the newly-renovated facility and a ribbon-cutting ceremony will precede the game against the Spartans.