ALFRED, NY –  The Alfred University men's basketball remained competitive in their 64-61 loss to Russell Sage College on Friday evening from the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.

The Saxons (8-4, 1-2 Empire 8) won the turnover battle by a 15-12 margin, while holding the Gators (7-5, 1-2 Empire 8) to one successful three-point shot.

"A lot of credit to Sage," Head Coach Erich Kaempffe said. "I'm really proud of our guys and their effort. This team has zero quit. The guys we're without right now are desperate to be on the court with their teammates and we can't wait to get them back."

Darren Miller (Seneca Falls, NY/Mynderse) led AU with a season-high 14 points along with nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Casey Curran (Allegany, NY/Allegany-Limestone) finished with 12 points and three boards. Cole Eells (Ithaca, NY/Ithaca) ended with 10 points.

An early 10-0 run by Russell Sage was snapped by a three-point shot from Adam Enders (Belfast, NY/Belfast). The Gators maintained offensive rhythm in the first half, leading by as many as 14 points in the first half. Both teams traded successful shots to close out the first half, as the Saxons trailed 33-21.

A three-point shot from Curran was followed by a layup from Miller to put AU within a single-digit deficit. Four consecutive free throws between Curran and Kevin Durkin (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's Collegiate) put the Saxons within six points. A 7-0 run by the Gators was ended by an and-one layup from Miller with 12:32 remaining in the second half. Successful shots from Justin Phillips (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights), Eells, and Miller had AU trailing by a single point with 10:05 remaining. The Gators built their lead back up to a seven-point advantage before successful shots from Kenneth Allison Jr (Troy, NY/Lansingburgh) and Miller made it a one-possession game. Successful free throw shooting from Russell Sage in the final minutes prevented a comeback from Alfred University.

"Back-to-backs are about players," Kaempffe said. "I love the players in our locker room. We're excited for tomorrow."

Alfred University will next host Hartwick College with tip-off set at 4:00 PM.