Co-captains Aileen Daniels '12 and Hannah Passafuime '12 led the women's basketball team (0-1) in a strong first half on Friday night, but the University at Albany (1-0) came back and defeated Bruno in the season opener for both teams.
"We were so ready," said forward Lindsay Nickel '13. "We were really excited for this game."
The squad's first half reflected that excitement. The Bears got on the board early, taking a 6-2 lead in the first two minutes. A three-pointer by guard Lauren Clarke '14 in the middle of the first half kept the Great Danes at a distance, making the score 10-5. But Albany crept back in the next ten minutes and took a 29-27 lead in the final minute that held until halftime.
Daniels and Passafuime had eight points apiece in the first half and, as a team, the Bears shot 40 percent (12-30) from the field.
But the Bears never regained the lead. They stayed consistently close behind, but couldn't pull ahead due to a poor 22 shot percentage (8-37) from the field.
"We basically couldn't make shots — shots that we normally would make," Nickel said. "We never found that offensive flow, and we couldn't settle down."
Newcomer Sophie Beutel '14 brought a nine-point deficit down to six in the middle of the second half with a three-point play, draining a jump shot and making her free throw. Another four points by Passafuime made the score 46-44 and brought the Bears back into striking distance with six minutes remaining. Responding to the challenge, the Great Danes went on a scoring streak and ended the game with a ten-point advantage, 64-54.
Daniels ended the game with 15 points and 7 rebounds, while fellow captain Passafiume totaled 14 points. Beutel started off her collegiate career strong and led the team on defense with 13 rebounds. Guard Ebone Henry led Albany with 23 points on 50 percent shooting (8-16).
The Bears are on the road again this week, taking on Central Connecticut State in a 7 p.m. game on Wednesday.
