ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University women's basketball team shot well in the second half but came up short in a 70-59 loss to Hartwick College on Saturday afternoon from the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.

The Saxons (6-7, 1-3 Empire 8) drew 17 fouls, while holding the Hawks (9-4, 4-1 Empire 8) to 28.6 percent from three-point range.

Leah Harkenrider (Hornell, NY/Hornell) led the Saxons with 13 points. Rebecca Jewett (Nyack, NY/Nyack) finished with 11 points and eight boards. Gillian Flint (Caldedonia, NY/Caldedonia-Mumford) ended the game with 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists.

"We got off to a nice start and played an overall good first half," Head Coach Mike Moskowitz said. "Our legs got tired late in the third quarter, so that affected us on both ends, but I was proud overall of our vast improvement in defensive discipline and on the defensive glass."

The Saxons jumped out to an early 8-0 lead thanks to successful shots from Ana Ion (Bucharest, Romania/Episcopal School of Jacksonville) and Jewett. The Hawks responded with a 7-0 run of their own to take the lead at the 2:30 mark of the first quarter. A three-point shot from Harkenrider gave AU a 15-13 lead entering the second quarter. A 7-0 run from Hartwick to open the second quarter left the Saxons trailing by as many as five points. Both teams traded successful shots, as a late shot from Grace Rittenhouse (Dansville, NY/Dansville) had the Saxons trailing 27-24 at halftime.

A layup from Ion at the 8:02 mark of the third quarter gave AU a brief one-point lead. An 11-0 run by the Hawks was ended by a jump shot from Allison O'Toole (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley). A successful three-point shot from Harkenrider in the final minutes of the third quarter cut the deficit for AU, as they trailed 50-42 entering the final quarter. Successful shots from Hartwick through the fourth quarter had Alfred University trailing by as many as 16 points. The Saxons found offensive rhythm of their own to close out the game, but time ran out on any potential comeback.

"We get another shot at Fisher on our home floor in a few days, and we will work to come up with a game plan on our off day tomorrow and implement it on Monday," Moskowitz said. 

Alfred University will next host St. John Fisher College on Tuesday with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 PM.