ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University women's basketball team celebrated Senior Day with a 54-45 win over Hartwick College on Saturday from the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.
 
Prior to the game, Alfred University took time to recognize Jessica Beehler (Dunkirk, NY/Dunkirk), Mackenzie Cannon (Odessa, NY/Odessa Montour), Leah Harkenrider (Hornell, NY/Hornell) and Grace Rittenhouse (Dansville, NY/Dansville). The Saxons also honored Karly Welty '23, who was in attendance for Saturday's matchup.
 
Jaidyn Chest (Mayfield, NY/Mayfield) led Alfred University with a double-double performance that consisted of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Harkenrider finished the game with 10 points to go with five rebounds and five assists. Rittenhouse added eight points and six boards for AU.
 
"I'm very proud of our toughness to cap off five games in an eight-game stretch," Head Coach Mike Moskowitz said. "Our legs were tired from yesterday, but I thought we pushed through some physical and mental fatigue and found a way to get a win in February. It was nice to recognize our seniors and their families for their commitment in and belief in us. We've seen a lot of personal growth from each of our four seniors and thank them endlessly for their dedication to the program."
 
Chest and Rittenhouse opened scoring for AU in the first quarter. Hartwick held the lead for most of the quarter, but a three-point from Rittenhouse cut the deficit. The Hawks scored late, resulting in the Saxons trailing 14-10 going into the second quarter. A jump shot by Samantha Fischer (Wappingers Falls, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) was followed by a deep shot from Beehler for Alfred University to take back the lead. A 9-0 run by the Saxons had the team leading by as many as five points. Late points from Hartwick cut the lead, as Alfred University led 23-22 at halftime.
 
The Hawks took a brief lead to begin the second half, but a three-point shot from Fischer tied the game. The defense held Hartwick without a point across the final two minutes of the third quarter, but AU was still behind 36-34 with one quarter remaining. Five combined points from Beehler and Harkenrider in the early stages of the fourth quarter gave Alfred University the lead once again. The Saxons ended the game on a 7-0 run across the final 45 seconds to extend their advantage and close out the game with a win.
 
Alfred University will next travel to Utica University on Friday with tipoff at 5:30 PM.