Box Score SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Senior Shaylyn Sicard recorded her first career double-double, and senior Ali Pessolano and sophomore Chelsea Vujs scored a team-high 14 points apiece, as Western New England won its season opener on Friday over the host Thoroughbreds, 64-52, in the Skidmore College Classic in non-conference women's basketball action at the Williamson Sports Center.

The Golden Bears will play Hamilton on Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by the Skidmore-SUNY Oneonta match-up at 4 p.m. (SUNY-Oneonta defeated Hamilton 65-60 in tonight's other contest.)

Skidmore was led by Jordyn Wartts who led all scorers with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor, and Angela Botiba added 14 on 5-of-8 field goals. Botiba also had four blocked shots and eight rebounds.

Taking over the point guard position for the graduated Emily Savino, Sicard more than admirably performed in the footsteps of the two-time All-Commonwealth Coast Conference First Team standout. Sicard had career highs of 10 points and a game-best 10 assists to go along with six rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

SeniorAshley Flood grabbed a game-tying-best eight rebounds to help WNE enjoy a 39-31 edge on the glass. Vujs had six boards.  Western New England scored 15 second-chance points on the strength of 17 offensive rebounds compared to 10 for SC.

Vujs also had five of the Golden Bears 10 steals. The team's defensive pressure helped force 23 Skidmore turnovers that resulted in 19 points off turnovers for WNE.

Western New England trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half, 22-11, after Skidmore's Lindsey Davis sank a 3-pointer for her only points of the game. The Golden Bears outscored SC 15-7 over the final 6 minutes and 20 seconds to cut the deficit to 29-26 at the intermission.

In the second half, the Golden Bears began with an 11-0 run over a 3:36 span to take a 37-29 lead--and one that WNE never relinquished following graduate student Nicole Daly's trey at the 18:00 mark. Daly scored five points and Sicard had four to key the comeback that resulted in the game's biggest lead at 13 points, 51-38 at 8:57, on junior Samantha McCann's turnaround jumper in the key.

Late in the game, Pessolano drilled a key 3-pointer from the left wing and Sicard had a steal-turned-layup to seal the win.