Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College women's basketball team opened 2025-26 NEC action at home against Saint Francis and earned a hard-fought 73-69 victory over the Red Flash at Ted Grant Court on Friday night. The Dolphins now possess a 3-11 record overall and 1-0 conference mark through 14 games played this season.
Four different Dolphins recorded double-digit points, including junior forward Ashley Buragas (Hopewell Junction, N.Y. / John Jay / Mineral Area College), who led Le Moyne with 16 points on 5-9 (55.5%) shooting from the field and a 6-8 (75.0%) rate from the line. She also added five rebounds and one assist in 26 minutes.
Freshman guard Kayden Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Manasquan) followed behind Buragas with 13 points while going 3-4 (75.0%) from three-point range, just ahead of sophomore guard Eli Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Ocean Township) who added 12 points while leading the team in both rebounds (six) and assists (six). Both Clarks contributed a pair of steals in the victory, as well.
Senior guard Sierra Linnin (Valley Cottage, N.Y. / Albertus Magnus) rounded out the double-digit scorers for Le Moyne, adding 11 points on four buckets including a trio of threes, with a pair of rebounds and one steal.
Junior guard Jessica Wangolo (Ottawa, O.N. / Capital Courts Academy / Buffalo) was a force all around the court, adding seven points along with five rebounds, four assists, and one steal in the win.
Le Moyne connected on 45.5% (25-55) of their shots from the field while adding 30 points in the paint, 24 bench points, and a season-high 18 points off turnovers.
Shelby Ricks led all players with 21 points for Saint Francis in the loss, ahead of Makyiah Ward (15) and Sonia Sato (13). Ricks also led the team with seven rebounds in 28 minutes on the hardwood.
After the team allowed a bucket off the tip, freshman guard Peyton Dincher (Jersey Shore, Pa. / Jersey Shore) gave Le Moyne their first lead of the game on a three-pointer in their opening possession. After going down by four points less than three minutes in, K. Clark connected on back-to-back threes to put the home team back in front, 11-9.
Later in the first quarter, a three from Linnin and a fastbreak layup out of the hand of Wangolo gave Le Moyne a four point cushion (25-21) heading into the first break.
The Dolphins registered four points early in the second quarter before going on a five-minutes scoreless spell that ended with a Buragas jumper with just under four minutes left in the half. E. Clark kept the momentum going with a three to put the Dolphins up by five before the team went to halftime up three, 36-33.
The home squad opened the second half with six straight points, five of them coming from Linnin, to extend their lead before SFU went on a 10-2 run to pull back within one, 44-43, with five minutes left in the frame.
After facing multiple three-point deficits, a pair of late free throws from Wangolo and jumper by freshman forward Praise Matthews (Red Lion, Pa. / Dallastown) helped Le Moyne regain their lead and close out the third up, 52-51.
Buragas caught fire in the final quarter of play, tallying 10 points in the first 5:11, on a pair of layups, one jumper, and four buckets from the charity stripe. SFU kept fighting throughout, however, and took the lead, 66-64, with over four minutes left to play on a three from Sato.
A layup from K. Clark tied the game on the next possession before she connected on a three-pointer off a dish from E. Clark to put the team ahead by three, 69-66, with 3:16 left in regulation.
The teams traded free-throws in the final minutes but the Dolphins were able to hold off the Red Flash and earn their NEC-opening win, 73-69.
In total, the game saw four ties and 21 lead changes with the latter marking a season-high in any of Le Moyne's games this season.
What's Next:
Le Moyne will remain at home and host Mercyhurst (0-12, 0-1 NEC) at Ted Grant Court at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 4.
