LOUDONVILLE, NY — Siena Women’s Basketball opened its 2026-27 campaign in emphatic fashion Monday night, knocking off Brown 82-71 at the UHY Center behind a pair of 20-point performances from Nicole Melious and Francesca Schiro. The Saints (1-0) secured their first season-opening victory since 2023-24 and their first opening-night win at home since 2022-23.
Melious poured in a game-high 25 points, connecting on four 3-pointers while adding six rebounds. Schiro delivered 21 points, five steals and four assists, while Kaiya Rain Tucker anchored the glass with 11 rebounds and contributed nine points, going 6-for-8 at the free-throw line.
After Brown (0-1) grabbed an early 15-14 advantage, Schiro helped swing the momentum back in Siena’s favor. The sophomore converted a layup and free throw to reclaim the lead before knocking down a 3-pointer on the Saints’ next possession. Siena capitalized on seven first-quarter turnovers by the Bears, turning them into 10 points to take a 24-20 lead after the opening 10 minutes.
The Saints created separation in the second quarter, with Melious taking over offensively. The guard scored 10 consecutive Siena points during a pivotal stretch, turning a 29-24 advantage into a 39-29 cushion. Melious knocked down a pair of 3-pointers during the run, as Siena’s defensive pressure forced eight additional Brown turnovers in the period. Melious and Schiro combined for all 23 of the Saints’ second-quarter points, with Schiro adding a 3-pointer in the closing minute to send Siena into the break with a commanding 47-32 advantage.
Brown made a push coming out of halftime, outscoring Siena 23-16 in the third quarter behind nine offensive rebounds and 14 points in the paint. Melious answered with a 3-pointer before Caydence Hadley connected from beyond the arc to maintain a double-digit cushion at 63-51 with 2:28 remaining. The Bears closed the quarter with four unanswered points, trimming the deficit to 63-55 entering the final period.
Siena remained composed down the stretch, never allowing Brown to get closer than 10 points in the fourth quarter. Stella Ziogas opened the period’s scoring with a putback layup, while Rain Tucker provided a timely 3-pointer and converted three late free throws to help put the game away. The Saints also controlled the offensive glass with eight fourth-quarter rebounds and went 8-for-12 at the charity stripe to secure the 82-71 season-opening victory.
Siena returns to action Thursday, Nov. 5, traveling to Orono, ME, to face Maine in the America East-Metro Basketball Challenge at 6 p.m. at Skip Chappelle Court at Memorial Gym.