DANBURY, CT – The Alfred University women's basketball returned to action with a 78-72 loss to Western Connecticut State on Thursday night from the Feldman Arena as part of the Hat City Classic.
The Saxons (3-6, 0-2 Empire 8) tallied season-high marks in points, rebounds, and assists against the Wolves (3-8, 0-3 LEC) as part of their efforts.
Alfred University was led by the efforts of
Grace Rittenhouse (Dansville, NY/Dansville), who finished the game with a team-high 23 points and nine rebounds.
Natalee Collins (Waterville, NY/Waterville) totaled 13 points and eight boards.
Leah Harkenrider (Hornell, NY/Hornell) added nine points for AU.
"This is the best our offense has looked all year," Head Coach
Mike Moskowitz said. "The ball movement, spacing, and the cutting was good, specifically in the first half. We had some physical, mental, and discipline errors in the first half that didn't allow us to extend our lead. In the second half, we made a nice run to push our lead and force them to take a timeout. Unfortunately from that point forward, we had poor possessions on both ends that led to a 14-0 run. We showed some heart late in the game to give ourselves a chance, but by that point, we dug ourselves too big of a hole. We're encouraged by the offense, but we need to clean some things up before our game on Saturday.
A layup from Collins was followed by a three-point shot by Rittenhouse to give the Saxons their first lead of the game in the first quarter. The defense held the Wolves scoreless for almost five minutes to lead by as many as five points. The Wolves eventually tied the game, but late points between Harkenrider and Rittenhouse gave Alfred University a 16-14 lead going into the second quarter.
Back-to-back deep shots from
Kate Quinn (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West) and
Jessica Beehler (Dunkirk, NY/Dunkirk) extended the lead for AU in the second quarter. Five different Saxons were responsible for points before the team took a 38-35 advantage into halftime.
Collins was responsible for the first four points for Alfred University to begin the second half. The Wolves took a brief one-point lead, but
Samantha Fischer (Wappingers Falls, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) responded with a shot from three-point territory. The Saxons continued to find open shots, but the Wolves ended the third quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 53-50 lead into the fourth quarter.
Five quick points to open the fourth quarter for the Wolves extended their lead by as many as eight points. Harkenrider and Rittenhouse combined for 16 points in the final quarter, but the Wolves shot 53.8 percent from the field to close out the game and secure the win.
Alfred University will next wrap up the Hat City Classic against The City College of New York on Saturday at 1:00 PM.
