Alfred, NY – The Alfred State men's basketball team dropped their season opener at home to the visiting Hiram Terriers, 93-80. With the loss, the Pioneers fall to 0-1 on the year.

Mykell Lawson led the Pioneers' offense with 26 points, while Darius Cunningham Jr followed with 20 points and eight rebounds. Eli Taft also chipped in 14 points, shooting 6-for-8 from the field.

Both teams battled early to gain control of the game, but Hiram jumped out to a quick 9-4 lead. A Lawson layup capped off an eight-point Pioneer run to give Alfred State a 19-11 advantage, but the Terriers regained momentum and took a narrow 46-40 lead into halftime.

In the second half, an Elijah Kioko layup cut the Hiram lead to just two points, 50-48. However, the Terriers responded with a strong offensive stretch, extending their lead to 73-57 with just over 10 minutes remaining. Hiram maintained control down the stretch to secure the 93-80 victory.

Alfred State will head across the street tomorrow, November 8th, to face Alfred University in their first Alfred Cup matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.