ALFRED, NY – A competitive effort from the Alfred University women's basketball team resulted in a 67-63 overtime win over Utica University on Saturday from the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.
 
The Saxons (7-9, 3-5 Empire 8) attempted a season-high 79 attempts from the field as part of their win against the Pioneers (4-11, 1-5 Empire 8).
 
Leah Harkenrider (Hornell, NY/Hornell) led Alfred University with a team-high 25 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals. Grace Rittenhouse (Dansville, NY/Dansville) finished the game with 14 points and 9 boards. Samantha Fischer (Wappingers Falls, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) added 10 points and 5 rebounds off the bench for AU.
 
"It's always a great battle with Utica," Head Coach Mike Moskowitz said. "I thought Grace did an unbelievable job on their best player today to really limit her easy opportunities. We executed a solid team defensive scout with just about 30 minutes of on-the-court walkthrough this morning, which is impressive. Leah was unbelievable on the offensive end, specifically late in the game. I'm so happy for her to have a great, breakthrough game. We had some solid contributions across the board, and ultimately, we showed a toughness and resolve that we've been building throughout the year. We're excited for the second half of conference play coming up."
 
The Saxons were forced to play from behind early in the opening quarter, as the Pioneers began the game with a 10-4 run. Six straight points from Rittenhouse was followed by a layup from Fischer to tie the game. Harkenrider hit a three-point shot in the closing seconds of the first quarter, but AU trailed 20-16 going into the second quarter. In the second quarter, Jessica Beehler (Dunkrik, NY/Dunkirk) scored four points for the Saxons as part of a 9-0 run to tie the game once again. Neither side scored across the final two minutes of the half, as Alfred University was behind 31-28 going into halftime.
 
Utica extended their lead in the third quarter, but shots from Harkenrider and Jaidyn Chest (Mayfield, NY/Mayfield) equalized the game. In the closing seconds of the quarter, a clutch four-point play from Rittenhouse gave the Saxons a competitive 43-41 lead going into the fourth quarter. Alfred University scored 12 straight points from beyond the arc to open the final quarter of regulation. The Pioneers responded with successful shots of their own, tying the game with 43 seconds remaining and ultimately sending the game into overtime.
 
Harkenrider sparked AU's offense with a three-point shot to begin overtime and ended up scoring the first eight points for the Saxons. The defense held the Pioneers to just two points across the final two minutes of play to secure the win.
 
Alfred University will next travel to Elmira College as part of a three-game road trip on Thursday with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 PM.