Alfred, N.Y. — The Alfred State women's basketball team dropped its conference opener at home to the visiting La Roche Redhawks, falling 53–45. With the loss, the Pioneers move to 3–5 overall and 0–1 in AMCC play.
 
Taylor Benjamin led Alfred State with a strong performance, recording a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Sarah Somers added 11 points and three rebounds to support the scoring effort.
 
Both teams came out aggressively, trading early baskets as the game was tied 7–7. Benjamin drained a three-pointer to give the Pioneers a 10–7 lead four minutes into the first quarter. However, Alfred State was unable to maintain the momentum, and La Roche pulled within one by the end of the quarter, trailing just 15–14.


The second quarter remained tightly contested, with both teams trading baskets throughout. La Roche managed to gain a slight advantage and went into halftime with a 24–20 lead.
 
In the second half, the back-and-forth battle continued. Alfred State briefly regained the lead when Benjamin hit a jumper five minutes into the third quarter to make it 30–29. La Roche closed the quarter on a 6–2 run, taking a 36–34 lead into the final period.
 
With 4:02 left in the fourth quarter, Alyssa Auer converted a tip-in and completed the three-point play to cut the deficit to 41–40. Despite the late push, the Pioneers could not close the gap, as the Redhawks pulled away for a 53–45 victory.
 
Alfred State will look to bounce back as it hosts Penn State Behrend on Wednesday, December 10, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.