ALBANY, NY - The Alfred University women's basketball team fought valiantly in its road opener, but were unable to counter a big Sage third-quarter run, falling to the Gators by a 70-60 score Sunday afternoon from Kahl Gymnasium.

Alfred drops its second consecutive Empire 8 contest, falling to 0-2, 0-2 E8. Sage (1-0, 1-0 E8) wins its first contest of the season.
 
"We came out swinging," Head coach Mike Moskowitz said. "I'm proud of our competition level and cohesiveness. There was a noticeable size difference between the two rosters, but our character showed today."
 
The Saxons were led by senior guard Gillian Flint (Caledonia, NY/Caledonia-Mumford), who finished with 19 points, including a career-high five field goals from three-point range. She added seven rebounds and three assists. First-year guard Karly Welty (Portville, NY/Portville Central) finished with 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Senior guard Lyndsey McCoy (Middleburgh, NY/Middleburgh Central contributed with 13 points, as the Saxons shot 29.7 percent (29-of-64) from the field.
 
"Gillian was as confident as I've ever seen her," Moskowitz said. "This team's commitment to excellence is something to be proud of."
 
Senior forward Madasyn Bush led the Gators (1-0) with a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double performance. Junior guard Sammy Pasinella led the team with 16 points, as Sage shot 40 percent (30-of-75) from the field.
 
The Saxons relied on early shots from Flint and first-year Grace Rittenhouse (Dansville, NY/Dansville), and never trailed by more than four points in the opening quarter. Six early forced turnovers by Alfred kept the game within reach.
 
A 7-0 run in the second quarter for Sage resulted in an early 21-14 deficit. The Saxons retaliated with deep shots from McCoy and first-year Leah Harkenrider (Hornell, NY/Hornell). The two combined for 14 points in the first half, as the Saxons trailed 29-26 going into the break.
 
The early stages of the second half favored the Gators, who built a 16-point advantage by the end of the third quarter. Despite putting up 24 points as a team in the fourth quarter, Alfred was unable to take the lead in the final minutes.
 
"We still have some things to work on," Moskowtiz said. "We want to work on our post defense, but that will come within time. We are also looking to utilize the three-point shot more often, so today was a step in the right direction."
 
The Saxons will continue their road trip as they travel to play Keuka College on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7pm.