PURCHASE, N.Y. – In their first contest back from winter break and the first game of 2026, the Purchase College women's basketball team came up just short Friday afternoon, dropping a 58–53 non-conference decision to Alfred State College.
With the loss, the Panthers slipped to 6–5 overall while Alfred State improved to 6–6 on the season.
The Blue and Orange set the defensive tone early, holding the Pioneers to just five points in the opening quarter to take a 9–5 lead after one. However, the tempo shifted in the second frame as the guests found their rhythm at the free-throw line and outscored the Panthers 22–13 to take a 27–22 advantage into halftime.
Purchase struggled to generate offense after the break and entered the final stanza trailing 40–29 as Alfred State earned control of the game and steadily increased their margin.
The Panthers mounted a late surge in the fourth quarter and poured in 24 points in the final 10 minutes and erased a double-digit deficit, tying the game at 53–53 with under a minute remaining. Alfred State answered at the foul line down the stretch, sealing the win in the closing seconds.
Charlee Neb (SR/Longmont, CO) led Purchase with 14 points, while Halle Greaige (JR/Rye Brook, NY) added nine points. Tianna Patten (FY/Mount Vernon, NY) chipped in nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds off the bench, and Jamyra Mccray (FY/Brooklyn, NY) contributed eight points, including a pair of late three-pointers that fueled the comeback bid.
For the game, Purchase shot 30.8 percent from the field, 22.7 percent from three, and 80.0 percent at the line, but 34 turnovers led to 29 points for Alfred State. The Pioneers finished the game shooting 21.0 percent overall, 19.0 percent from deep, and 65.1 percent from the free-throw line.
The Blue and Orange continue their New Year slate by hosting Anderson Hill Road rival Manhattanville College on January 6th at 6 p.m.
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