Cobleskill, NY - The SUNY Cobleskill women's basketball team tipped off their 2025-26 campaign in thrilling fashion, holding off Elmira College for a 60-58 victory on Sunday afternoon in Iorio Gymnasium.

The Tigers were powered by newcomers Hannah Bonczkowski (Gilbertsville, NY) and Kate Hadwen (Fair Haven, VT), who each tallied 12 points in their Cobleskill debut. Hadwen added three rebounds and two assists, while Bonczkowski connected on a pair of three-pointers and grabbed two boards. Junior center Mady Victorin (Menands, NY) made her presence felt inside, pulling down a game-high nine rebounds to go with six points on 2-of-4 shooting.

Cobleskill's bench provided a crucial spark throughout the contest. Transfer Zaylee Ramos (Worcester, MA) chipped in nine points, two rebounds, and two assists, while Kayleigh Bryant (Schenevus, NY) came up big on the glass with nine rebounds, seven points, and a block. Guard Jaiyla Colon (Worcester, MA) added six points and a key three-pointer during Cobleskill's early surge.

The Tigers shot 33.3 percent (19-of-57) from the field compared to Elmira's 36.7 percent (18-of-49). While Cobleskill struggled to find consistency from deep, hitting 21.1 percent (4-of-19), their defense set the tone by forcing 23 turnovers that led to 15 points. Despite being outrebounded 48-38, Cobleskill's defensive pressure and hustle plays helped them maintain control for nearly the entire game, leading for all but two minutes.

After an early 6-6 tie midway through the first quarter, Cobleskill caught fire behind a smooth driving layup from Ramos that ignited a 14-1 run. The Tigers closed the period with a flurry of baskets and a buzzer-beating jumper from Ramos to take a commanding 20-7 lead.

Cobleskill stretched its lead to 15 points, 26-11, following a jumper from Sydney Delisle (Mechanicville, NY) early in the second quarter. Bryant's three-point play kept the Tigers ahead by double digits, but Elmira closed the half strong with a 10-4 run to trim the lead to 33-28 at the break.

The third quarter featured steady back-and-forth play until Hadwen drained a key three-pointer off a dish from Ramos to push the margin to eight. Ramos later scored three straight points to give the Tigers breathing room, and Cobleskill's defense clamped down to hold Elmira to just four points in the quarter, entering the final frame ahead 42-32.

Victorin opened the fourth with a put-back layup, but Elmira answered with back-to-back threes to cut the deficit to 44-41. Bonczkowski responded with a clutch triple to restore momentum, and later added four straight points to rebuild the lead to 55-49. A Victorin layup extended the edge to eight, but Elmira rallied late to pull within two in the closing seconds. Bryant calmly hit one of two free throws with 11 seconds left, and Cobleskill's defense held firm on the final possession to secure the season-opening win.

Up Next
The Tigers improve to 1-0 on the year and will return to Iorio Gymnasium on Tuesday, November 18, to host Alfred State at 5:00 p.m.