ALFRED, N.Y. – The Alfred University men's and women's basketball teams host the final home games of the regular season this weekend. Elmira visits the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena on Friday as AU hosts its first "Play4Kay" charity fundraiser game. On Saturday, the teams will host Hartwick as part of the inaugural Saxon WinterFest.
 
Friday's doubleheader will begin at 5:30 p.m. as the men will tip off first. The women will tip off at around 7:30 p.m. The women's basketball team is hosting its inaugural Play4Kay game, which aims to help raise money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The fund is named in honor of legendary women's basketball coach Sandra Kay Yow, who succumbed to cancer in 2009. Donations will be accepted at the arena throughout the game and fans can also donate electronically from the AU women's basketball team page.
 
Saturday begins with the inaugural Saxon WinterFest, kicking off at noon inside the adjacent Joyce and Walton Family Center for Health and Fitness. The free event for all ages will include sports stations from 12-2 p.m., and arts and crafts/community stations throughout the afternoon. The sports stations will give kids a chance to play basketball, football, soccer, and track and field-related games with Alfred University student-athletes and coaches. There will also be arts and craft stations, a bounce house, mazes, a photo booth and other free play activities for kids.
 
The attention then turns to a special men's and women's basketball doubleheader against Hartwick, with the men tipping off at 2 p.m. and the women beginning around 4 p.m. Both teams will honor their respective senior classes. The men will pay tribute to guard Sam Dagon (Hornell, N.Y./Hornell) before the game, while the women will honor guards Jillian Murray (Eden, N.Y./Eden) and Jamie Wilcox (Forrestville, N.Y./Pine Valley), forwards Mandy Skeet (Pembroke, N.Y./Pembroke), Bri Hicks (Burlington, Vt./Ithaca), and Samantha Pierre-Louis (Wheatley Heights, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West), and graduate assistant head coach and Backstreet Boys enthusiast Rachel Durbin.
 
There will be giveaways, raffles, and halftime entertainment by the world-renowned ZOOperstars! during both games.
 
The basketball is sure to be interesting as well. For the men, AU (9-13, 3-8 Empire 8) is looking to defend its Empire 8 crown from last season. To do that, the team will need to win their remaining three contests of the regular season, as well get outside help in the form of three Sage losses. Sage is taking on Nazareth, St. John Fisher, and Utica, who have all clinched playoff spots. The Saxons will take on Elmira, Hartwick, and cross-county foe Houghton next Saturday. Last weekend, the Saxons dropped a pair of contests at Utica and Sage.
 
Alfred averages a healthy 74.5 points per game, fourth in the Empire 8. The team is second in free throw percentage (72.2 percent) and third in steals (7.8 steals per game). Individually, Dagon leads the league in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game. For his career, Dagon has tallied over 1,000 points, breaking the barrier last weekend at Sage. Brewster Marshall (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) (13.4 ppg) and Cole Eells (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca) (10.7 ppg) are the other scorers in double figures. Marshall also leads the team in rebounding, at 6.9 rebounds per game, and in blocked shots at 1.6 per game. Mike Schmidt (Olean, N.Y./Olean) leads the team in assists (3.9 assists per game), also chipping in 8.7 points per game and 1.8 steals per game.
 
Elmira (2-20, 1-10 Empire 8) is looking for its second conference victory of the season. Last weekend, the Soaring Eagles closed out the home portion of their season with a pair of losses to Nazareth and St. John Fisher. Elmira is led by Shawn Backus and his 13.0 ppg. Rashaad Nurse is the team's other double-digit scorer at 10.0 ppg. He also leads the team in rebounding, averaging 5.7 caroms per contest.
 
Hartwick (11-11, 3-8 Empire 8) is tied with Alfred in the standings but are unable to make a postseason push due to dropping both games with fourth-place Sage. The Hawks are looking to turn things around after dropping their last six contests. Statistically, Hartwick is the best defense in the Empire 8, with opponents scoring just 71.3 points per game. Pat Garey leads five double-digit Hartwick scorers, at 14.8 ppg. Rounding out the other scorers are Austin Haskell (13.4 ppg.), Kyle Bradshaw (12.4 ppg.), Bobby Connors (11.8 ppg.), and Tommy Kelly (11.7 ppg.). Connors leads the team in rebounding, at 7.6 rpg.
 
Earlier in the season, the Saxons dropped a 70-61 road decision to Hartwick on Jan. 17 but rebounded to defeat Elmira the next day by an 85-73 score.
 
For the AU women (5-17, 1-10 Empire 8), the team looks to gain positive momentum to end the season off right. The Saxons are looking to right the ship, dropping its last five games in E8 play. Statistically, the Saxons average 58.7 points per game and are fourth with 8.43 steals per game. Individually, the Saxons are led by first-year Ana Ion (Bucharest, Romania/Episcopal School of Jacksonville), who is 12^th in the Empire 8 with 11.7 ppg. Ion has notched three Empire 8 Rookie of the Week honors this season, most recently this past Monday. Hicks is next, averaging 9.2 ppg. Hicks also leads the team in rebounding (6.5 rpg.), steals (1.8 spg.), and blocked shots (0.8 bpg). Wilcox, a 1,000-point career scorer, and Gillian Flint (Caledonia, N.Y./Caledonia-Mumford) are tied with 8.5 ppg.
 
Elmira (4-18, 2-9 Empire 8) come into the weekend having dropped seven games in a row after a pair of wild, one-point wins against Alfred and Houghton in mid-January. Elmira is eighth in the league in scoring at 50.0 ppg. and is fifth with 7.77 spg. The Soaring Eagles are led individually by Lauren Franklin with 9.8 ppg. and Alyssa Waters with 9.3 ppg. Emily Breheny leads the team with 6.2 rpg.
 
The Hartwick women (12-10, 6-5 Empire 8) are in a fight with Nazareth and Utica for the final two postseason spots, sitting a game behind Nazareth and a game and a half behind Utica with a game in hand. The Hawks fell to St. John Fisher in a tight game, before rallying to beat Nazareth for the season sweep. The Hawks are led by Maggie Kirby with 14.3 ppg. Giuliana Pritchard is next at 12.5 ppg., leading the team in rebounds at 8.9 boards per game. Rounding out the other Hartwick threats are Mary Shoenherr (11.5 ppg. and 8.0 rpg.) and Molly Kirby (10.0 ppg.).