ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University women's basketball team wrapped up their week with a 69-52 loss to Denison University on Sunday from the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.

Felicia Stewart (Ann Arbor, MI/Pioneer) led Alfred University with a team-high 13 points along with six rebounds and three assists. Leah Harkenrider (Hornell, NY/Hornell) finished the game with nine points, five boards and two steals. Natalee Collins (Waterville, NY/Waterville) added six points and a team-high nine rebounds for AU.

"Three games in four days is not easy and I think our energy and excitement wasn't there in the first half," Head Coach Mike Moskowitz said. "When playing a good team like Denison, you have to be completely locked in for all 40 minutes. Having said that, I thought we could've been up more at halftime and that would have helped when they made their run in the third quarter. I thought our looks were pretty good for most of the game, but we struggled to put the ball in the basket today. A lot of that comes from their length and physicality, but we also need to continue working on finishing in practice."

The Saxons set the tone early in the opening quarter, beginning the game on a 7-0 run. An additional 6-0 run for AU had the team leading by as many as 8 points. The Big Red found shots late, but the Saxons still led 13-12 going into the second quarter. A basket from Jaidyn Chest (Mayfield, NY/Mayfield) was followed by a deep shot from Kate Quinn (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West) to extend the lead in the second quarter. Denison found their way back into the game, equalizing the score with under five minutes remaining in the half. A late shot from Stewart in the closing second had AU leading 28-24 going into the break.

Stewart was responsible for Alfred University's first five points to begin the second half. Grace Rittenhouse (Dansville, NY/Dansville) scored five points as part of the 7-0 run for the Saxons, as they led by 11 points. The Big Red climbed back into the game and took a two-point lead in the third quarter, but AU responded with four points from Collins to hold a competitive 45-43 lead with one quarter to play. Denison took control of their scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter, outscoring AU 26-7 across the final 10 minutes to close out the game.

"We're excited to get a little break here heading into Thanksgiving and we will get back on Sunday ready to prepare for the next part of our schedule," Moskowitz said.

Alfred University will next travel on Tuesday, November 28 to play Villa Maria College at 6:30 PM.