The SUNY Old Westbury Panther women's basketball team edged out the City College of New York (CCNY) Beavers, 43–39, in a hard-fought matchup Wednesday night at the Clark Athletic Center.
The win gave new Head Coach Joe Pellicane his first as a Panther as the team opened its 2025-2026 season with a non-conference match up.
Old Westbury's
Kasey Coppola led all scorers with 16 points and 19 rebounds, notching a double-double that anchored the Panthers' offense and defense.
Aissata Kone added 14 points and six rebounds, converting efficiently on 4-of-6 shooting from the field and 6-of-9 from the free-throw line. The Panthers' bench also chipped in with
Brianne Belizaire scoring seven points.
Despite shooting just 28.8% from the field, Old Westbury capitalized at the line, hitting 12 of 21 free throws compared to CCNY's 4-of-9.
After trailing 12–9 at the end of the first quarter, CCNY battled back to within two at halftime, 22–20. Old Westbury built its largest lead in the third quarter, outscoring CCNY 13–9 behind Coppola's interior presence and Kone's free throws. The Beavers made a late push in the fourth, but their shooting woes — including 0-for-9 from three — proved costly as the Panthers held on for the win.