ALBANY (Interstat) — Nicole Melious scored 25 points and Francesca Schiro added 21 as Siena beat Brown 82-71 in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Monday at Times Union Center. The announced attendance was 445. Siena improved to 1-0, while Brown dropped to 0-1. Siena scored 82 points from 86 possessions, an offensive rating of 95.9. Brown scored 71 points from 82 possessions, an offensive rating of 86.3.

The Saints opened with the first five points as Caydence Hadley made a driving layup and then a 3-point jump shot. Brown responded through Nalah Smith’s layup and Olivia Young’s 3-pointer before Siena stretched its lead to 12-5 on Myanna Hatchette’s 3-pointer and Francesca Schiro’s driving layup. Gia Powell hit a 3-pointer and Aima Ofunrein made a layup as Brown cut the margin to 12-10. Nicole Melious answered with a layup, Caitlyn Kramer added a driving layup, and Powell made a stepback 3-pointer that gave Brown a 15-14 lead. Schiro then made a layup, converted a free throw and hit a 3-pointer to push Siena ahead 20-15. Sravya Janapati hit a 3-pointer for Brown, Hadley made a layup, Ofunrein made two free throws and Hatchette closed the quarter with a pullup jump shot to give Siena a 24-20 advantage.

Brown tied the score at 24 when Powell made a free throw and a 3-point jump shot early in the second quarter. Siena answered with the decisive stretch of the game. Melious made a 3-point jump shot, Schiro made a layup, and Melious added a layup to put the Saints ahead 31-24. Janapati made a 3-pointer for Brown, but Melious hit two more 3-pointers around a Powell turnaround jump shot. Melious then made a layup, Schiro converted a layup and free throw, and Melious added another layup as the lead grew to 44-29. Ofunrein made one free throw for Brown, Schiro hit a 3-pointer and Ofunrein made a layup, but Siena took a 47-32 lead into halftime. The 23-8 run from the tie proved to be the most important part of the game.

Brown opened the third quarter with Isabella Wesley’s layup, but Siena answered with free throws from Karissa Antoine and Kaiya Rain Tucker. Powell made a pullup jump shot, Melious made a driving layup, and Nalah Smith made a layup for Brown. Olivia Young hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit, but Schiro made a pullup jump shot and Antoine made a layup for Siena. Powell made another pullup jump shot and Ofunrein made a layup as Brown stayed close. Powell added a layup, Melious hit a 3-pointer, Powell made a layup again, and Antoine made a layup for Siena. Ofunrein made a layup, Hadley hit a 3-pointer for Siena, and Ofunrein made a jump shot. Monet Witherspoon made a free throw for Brown, Olivia Young made one free throw, and Siena carried a 63-55 lead into the fourth quarter.

Stella Ziogas made a layup for Siena to start the fourth, and Antoine made two free throws. Ofunrein made a layup for Brown, Melious answered with a layup, Nalah Smith made a layup, and Hatchette made a layup for Siena. Janapati made a layup for Brown, but Tucker hit a 3-pointer and made two free throws to keep Siena in control. Schiro made a driving layup, Janapati hit a 3-pointer, Olivia Young made a layup and Powell made a layup as Brown tried to rally. Tucker made two more free throws, Antoine made two free throws and Schiro made one free throw. Powell hit a 3-pointer for Brown, and Melious made a free throw to close the scoring. Brown cut the deficit to 78-68 on Powell’s layup with 1:21 remaining, but Siena made six free throws down the stretch and held on.

Brown shot 28 of 71 from the floor, 9 of 29 from 3-point range and 6 of 11 from the free-throw line. Siena shot 29 of 74 overall, 10 of 30 from beyond the arc and 14 of 20 at the line. The Bears held an 18-15 edge in offensive rebounds and blocked seven shots to Siena’s three. Siena finished with 11 assists and 17 turnovers, while Brown had 10 assists and 24 turnovers. The Saints’ free-throw advantage and turnover margin helped offset Brown’s rebounding and shot-blocking.

Melious, a 5-foot-8 guard from Staten Island, N.Y., who previously played at Susan E. Wagner and Seton Hall, led Siena with 25 points and six rebounds in 31 minutes. Schiro, a 5-foot-7 guard who previously played at Hillsborough, finished with 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and one block in 37 minutes. Kaiya Rain Tucker, a 6-foot-1 guard who previously played at Friends Central School, added nine points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes. Karissa Antoine, a 5-foot-11 guard who previously played at Schalmont and Fordham, had eight points, eight rebounds, four assists and one block. Caydence Hadley, a 6-foot-1 guard who previously played at Bishop Kearney and Towson, scored 10 points with four rebounds and two assists. Myanna Hatchette, a 5-foot-10 guard who previously played at Lake Highland Preparatory, chipped in seven points, two rebounds and four assists.

Gia Powell, a 5-foot-8 guard who previously played at Meadowdale, paced Brown with 25 points, four rebounds, three assists and one block in 32 minutes. Aima Ofunrein, a 6-foot-1 forward who previously played at Stony Point, added 15 points, seven rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes. Olivia Young, a 5-foot-11 guard who previously played at Cardinal Gibbons, had nine points, 15 rebounds and two blocks in 31 minutes. Nalah Smith, a 6-foot-3 forward who previously played at Evangelical Christian School, scored six points with six rebounds, one assist and one block. Sravya Janapati hit three 3-pointers as part of Brown’s perimeter attack. The Bears stayed within reach in the fourth quarter but could not erase the second-quarter deficit.

Brown’s next 10 games are against Army on Nov. 5, 2026; Bucknell on Nov. 7; Holy Cross on Nov. 12; at Maine on Nov. 15; Merrimack on Nov. 19; Maryland-Baltimore County on Nov. 21; at Boston University on Nov. 25; at North Carolina on Nov. 29; Marist on Dec. 2; and George Washington on Dec. 5. Siena’s next 10 are at Maine on Nov. 5, 2026; against Binghamton on Nov. 8; at Syracuse on Nov. 11; at New Haven on Nov. 15; against Army on Nov. 19; at Mercyhurst on Nov. 21; at Colgate on Nov. 24; against Cornell on Nov. 30; at Dartmouth on Dec. 2; and against Albany on Dec. 5.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Siena 59, Brown 57. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Brown with a 75 percent probability to win. The actual result exceeded the simulator’s combined scoring projection and reversed the ELO favorite, as Siena used its second-quarter surge and late free-throw shooting to secure the victory.