STONE RIDGE, N.Y. — SUNY Ulster freshman forward Alen Ibric isn’t one to hide his emotions on the court. After drawing a charge against a SUNY Sullivan opponent on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at the Senate Gymnasium, he jumped up and raced to the other end of the court with with his arm extended out to show he had drawn the foul.

It was just the kind of infectious enthusiasm the Senators needed to capture their home opener 89-77 in front of a small but boisterous home crowd. The win put an end to SUNY Ulster’s four-game losing streak to start the 2025-26 season.

Emerging from the winner’s locker room after a loud celebration by the victory-starved Senators, the 6-foot-3 Ibric said he’s glad he chose to play at SUNY Ulster following a solid career at Ellenville High. He averaged 13.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists a game for coach Bryan Bonitz’s Blue Devils last season. He was a second-team selection on the Freeman’s Boys Basketball All-Star team in the 2024-25 campaign.

“I actually joined the team a month late because I didn’t really know if I wanted to pursue basketball,” Ibric said of his start at SUNY Ulster. “So honestly, this is one of the best decisions I made in my life. I’m so happy I did. Coming out here and hooping with a group of guys who I have really developed a good relationship with in two months. It’s really such a blessing to come out here and play basketball. I’m so grateful.”

Ibric scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half as the Senators exploded for 52 points after the intermission to run away from the visiting Generals (3-4) after holding a tenuous 37-33 halftime lead.

With the Senators (1-4) clinging to a 53-51 lead, Ibric scored six points in an 8-0 spurt to open up a 61-51 lead with 11 minutes remaining.

After making 1 of 2 free throws, Ibric got a steal and drove for a layup. Following a layup by 6-6 sophomore Joshua Barthelemy of Greenacres, Fla., Ibric capped the burst with a 3-pointer to give the Senators a 10-point lead.

SUNY Ulster blew it open for a 83-64 lead with less than four minutes remaining before SUNY Sullivan made some late buckets to close the gap.

Third-year SUNY Ulster coach Jonah Kaminer said he loves Ibric’s style of play.

“He plays so freaking hard,” Kaminer said. “The last game he dove into the bleachers so hard it looked like he almost broke his jaw. We love this kid. When you play that hard, you can make up for a lot of stuff and he’s good anyway.”

Ibric said he’s always played with a lot of enthusiasm.

“I’m a hustler,” he said. “I like to bring energy to the team. Sports and life is a game of momentum. Picking it up and lifting up the people around you is extremely important.”

SUNY Ulster featured a balanced attack in its home opener with four players scoring in double figures. In addition to Ibric, freshman guard Zen Martinez (team-high 19 points), 6-5 forward Alex Joseph (17) and 6-2 freshman guard Alesi Mingo (13) also had big offensive evenings.

Though the Senators committed 13 turnovers against SUNY Sullivan, it was a big improvement over last year’s team which led the country in turnovers, according to Kaminer. After losing three guards at the end of the first semester, the Senators frequently had big men trying to bring the ball up court. It was a big reason for their 3-25 finish.

Kaminer said having a point guard like the 5-10 Martinez from Brooklyn should help against pressing teams.

“We got guys who can dribble the ball a little bit more,” Kaminer said. “He’s the little quick guard we need, man. He can handle the pressure. We need that and he’s not scared.”

Joseph, who came to SUNY Ulster from Lake Worth, Fla., showed good shooting touch from long range, making a trio of 3-pointers on the way to 15 first-half points.

“I think he’s our best offensive player,” Kaminer said. “He shoots 3s and he rarely misses shots around the basket. He could be better defensively, but he’s a great scorer and I think he’s going to be our main weapon most of the year.”

SUNY Sullivan was led in scoring by Tomas Hernandez, who had a game-high 25 points.

The Senators will host defending Region XV Division II champions SUNY Orange at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20.