ALFRED, NY - A strong offensive effort in the first half from the Alfred University women's basketball team led to a 71-51 victory over Elmira College on Tuesday evening from the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.

The Saxons (6-5, 1-1 Empire 8) had five different players finish with double-digit points in the victory. Defensively, AU only surrendered a single three-point shot to the Soaring Eagles (6-5, 1-2 Empire 8).

"We did a nice job being patient and sharing the ball in the first half, leading to some great looks both inside and out," Head Coach Mike Moskowitz said. "We definitely could have been sharper in the first half in not letting their players beat us doing what we know they want to do. Our communication and energy was great in the first half, and that led to some great runs to open up that lead."

Rebecca Jewett (Nyack, NY/Nyack) led the Saxons with a season-high 14 points along with three rebounds. Grace Rittenhouse (Dansville, NY/Dansville) finished with a double-double performance that consisted of 10 points and 11 boards. Allison O'Toole (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) filled the stat sheet, totaling 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and one steal.

The Saxons jumped out to an early lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter thanks to consecutive three-point shots from Leah Harkenrider (Hornell, NY/Hornell) and Rittenhouse. A 15-0 run by AU had them leading by as many as 16 points. The Soaring Eagles answered with a brief 6-2 run, but the Saxons still led 28-12 at the end of the first quarter. Six different players scored for Alfred University in the second quarter, as Rittenhouse opened the quarter with a successful three-point shot. A jump shot from Ana Ion (Bucharest, Romania/Episcopal School of Jacksonville) was later followed by a three-point shot from Briana Broadwell (Franklinville, NY/Ten Broeck Academy), as Alfred led 48-24 at halftime.

The Soaring Eagles opened the second half on a 6-0 run that was snapped by a three-point shot from Rittenhouse. Elmira finished the third quarter on a 8-2 run, narrowing Alfred's lead down a 53-38 margin. Felicia Stewart (Ann Arbor, MI/Pioneer) set the tone for the Saxons in the early stages of the fourth quarter, scoring the team's opening four points. Jewett compiled a team-high seven points in the final quarter to secure the victory.

"It was nice to see some balanced scoring tonight and we're going to have to rely on our depth a lot the new few days as we prepare for three physical, well-coached teams," Moskowitz said.

The Saxons will next host Russell Sage College on Friday with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 PM.