Copyright syracuse.com
Queens, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College women’s basketball team opened the 2025-26 season on the road against St. John’s University and dropped the matchup, 68-53, at Carnesecca Arena on Monday afternoon. Le Moyne freshman Kayden Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Manasquan) led the team in scoring in her first collegiate performance, tallying 14 points on 72% shooting from the field while going a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc. She added one assist, three rebounds, and one steal in her 30 minutes on the court. Senior guard Sierra Linnin (Valley Cottage, N.Y. / Albertus Magnus) also finished in double figures in scoring for the Dolphins with 10 points. Junior forward Ashley Buragas (Hopewell Junction, N.Y. / John Jay / Mineral Area College) followed behind with eight points while going 3-4 from the charity stripe, just ahead of sophomore guard Eli Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Ocean Township) and freshman guard Peyton Dincher (Jersey Shore, Pa. / Jersey Shore) who each tallied seven points apiece. E. Clark tied her career-high with seven rebounds to go along with another seven assists, both of which led the ‘Phins against St. John’s. Le Moyne shot 9-16 (56.3%) from three-point range while holding the Red Storm to just 5-25 (20.0%) in the same area. The Dolphins recorded 14 points off the bench in the game. Along with Clark, Buragas, and Dincher, freshman forwards Ava Johnson (Richmond, Va. / The Steward School) and Rachel Lynch (Cork, Ireland / Putnam Science Academy (Conn.)) each made their Le Moyne debuts during the non-conference contest. Junior guard Brooke Moore tallied a game-high 15 points off the bench on 5-12 shooting from the field and a 5-6 mark from the line for St. John’s. Redshirt junior forward Daniela Abies was the only other member of the Red Storm’s squad to register double-digit points, putting up 10 with a game-high 15 boards. Graduate guard Shaulana Wagner was St. John’s leader in rebounds, tying Clark with seven in 22 minutes of play. Buragas registered the first four points of the game on a layup and pair of made free-throws before K. Clark added her first career points on a three-pointer to extend the ‘Phins lead to 7-3. Following an eight-point run by the Red Storm, Dincher made her first collegiate bucket (another three) and added a successful free throw at the 1:59 mark of the first quarter to bring Le Moyne back within one, 12-11. St. John’s finished the opening frame with an 18-13 advantage. St. John’s surged to open the second quarter, putting together a run of 18 straight points that included a pair of threes and six buckets from two-point range over six-plus minutes. A made free-throw by Lynch and threes from K. Clark and Linnin closed out the first half with the Dolphins trailing, 38-20. E. Clark opened the third quarter with a layup and after going back-and-forth with St. John’s through much of the next seven minutes of play, Le Moyne worked to get back within 12 points on back-to-back made free throws from junior forward Sydney Postell (Churchville, N.Y. / Churchville-Chili) and another three-pointer from Linnin. The Red Storm finished the quarter on a six-point run and took a 53-36 lead into the final frame. An eight-point run that consisted of threes from K. Clark and Dincher along with a layup from Buragas brought the score to 57-44 in favor of the Red Storm with 6:13 left to play. The Dolphins cut their deficit to 11 on two separate occasions later in the quarter but seven points from the Red Storm in the final three minutes closed out the season opener, as St. John’s took it, 68-53. What’s Next: Le Moyne will hit the road once again next weekend as they travel to Easton, Pa. for an 11:00 a.m. clash with the Lafayette College Leopards on Sunday, Nov. 9.
