CANTON, N.Y. – Russell Sage College dropped this afternoon's season opener at SUNY Canton 72-61.

The hosts began the non-conference matinee on a 10-2 run to hold leads of 17-7 at the end of the opening period, and 35-23 at the break.  SUNY Canton (1-0), which never trailed, was up by as many as 24 during the fourth quarter.

RSC featured a balanced offense on Saturday, receiving at least six points from six different players. Senior guard Malena Gereau (Schroon Lake, NY/Schroon Lake Central) led the way with 12 points, while senior guard Olivia Huneau (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) added 11.

Sophomore forward Kallie Hopkins (Millsboro, DE/Poly Tech) contributed eight points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a pair of steals.

Four different Roos scored 14 points to pace the victors.

Looking ahead, the Gators (0-1) play next on Wednesday at Bard. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 PM.

Gator Bites with Papa John's: The season marks the first with Michael Branche as the Head Coach of RSC Women's Basketball…He had been an assistant women's basketball coach since July 2020…12 players, making up just shy of 94 percent of the team scoring return for the Gators…The dozen combine with five newcomers on this year's squad…Junior guard Layla Acosta (Haines City, FL/Haines City), a third-team All-Empire 8 Conference selection in 2023-24, junior forward Aniyah Kelley (New Castle, DE/William Penn), and senior guard Lauren Sanderson (Ravena, NY/Ravena-Coyemans-Selkirk) headline the returning Gators…Huneau, Sanderson, and Gereau were voted captains of the team...RSC will play its home opener on January 3, 2025.