CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland women's basketball team, ranked seventh nationally by D3hoops.com, opened its 2025-26 season with a 53-48 home win over the University of Rochester.
 
Jackie Funk (Penfield) led Cortland with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Joleen Lusk (Cherry Valley/Cherry Valley-Springfield) finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, and Kaeli McAnally (Islip) scored 10 points, eight in the fourth quarter. Sophie Bissaillon (East Greenbush/Columbia) and Cadence Nicholas (Cortlandt Manor/Walter Panas) finished with six points apiece. Bissaillon finished with five rebounds.
 
Hazell Nickerson was the lone double-figure scorer for Rochester with 10 points. Grace Corelli scored nine points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Claire Groenewoud, Deniz Alparslan and Bridget Miller tallied six points each. Alparslan finished with nine rebounds.
 
Both teams struggled with their shooting in the contest. Cortland finished at 33 percent from the field, including 25 percent (6-of-24) in the second half. Rochester was held to 29 percent shooting overall and 1-of-20 from 3-point range.
 
Rochester led 20-19 after one quarter, but Cortland outscored the Yellowjackets 14-2 in the second to take a 33-22 halftime lead. Funk scored nine of her points in the opening 20 minutes. The Red Dragon lead grew to 37-24 just over four minutes into the third quarter, but Rochester fought back to close within 39-35 late in the quarter and entered the fourth down 41-35.
 
The guests eventually got as close as 46-43 on two Corelli free throws with 3:15 left, and the Yellowjackets missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 2:18 left. McAnally's jumper with 1:48 left pushed the lead to five, and Lusk hit two free throws at the 1:09 mark to extend the margin to seven. The lead was four with 19 seconds left before McAnally hit two free throws with 17 seconds left to help seal the win.
 
Cortland will host nationally second-ranked Scranton on Tuesday at 7 p.m.