SAN JUAN, PR – The Alfred University women's basketball team ended its stay in Puerto Rico with a 60-50 win over Mount Saint Mary College (NY) on Thursday afternoon.
 
The Saxons (6-4, 0-1 Empire 8) faced a 25-23 first half deficit after the Knights (5-6, 4-2 Skyline) put 18 points on the board in the second quarter. A combination of the AU offense and defense erased the deficit for the win as the Saxons outscored the Knights 37-25 in the second half.
 
"We had a long talk this morning where we refocused our energy. Sam Salmon [Lamacchia] really took the lead at one point and emphasized some key things that we could control," Head Coach Mike Moskowitz said. "The really responded well to that and came out with great energy and intentionality to the things we discussed. We then had a dip about halfway through the second and third quarter that was a combination of missed opportunities and other things that hurt us. But the last 15 minutes were fantastic with some really great execution on both ends and an energy that kind of just took the game and made it our own."
 
Ashaya Wallace (Elmira, NY/Elmira) posted a team-high 12 points, establishing a new collegiate-best mark, accounting for 12-of-15 Saxon bench points while hitting 3-of-5 from 3-point range and pulling down three rebounds. Natalee Collins (Waterville, NY/Waterville) recorded a double-double with 10 points and a career-high and game-high 18 rebounds. Nelly Mbugeni (Tanga, Tanzania/Masai Girls) also joined the double-digit Saxon scorers with 10 points while leading the game with six steals. Her six steals were also a career-best.
 
Going into the second quarter, the Saxons built a 21-11 lead over the Knights before the fellow New York team went on a 14-2 run to end the half with the 25-23 lead. AU opened the second half with a pair of Jayda L. Felker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post) made free throws to tie the game at 25 before a Knight 3-pointer separated the scores, 28-25. Back-and-forth scoring efforts and defensive stops had the lead still with Mount Saint Mary, 34-32 with over a minute and a half left. Ava Anastasi (Sanborn, NY/Starpoint) hit a 3-pointer with 55 seconds left in the third quarter to take a 35-34 lead while Briana Dorr (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) tacked on another long shot for the 38-34 lead, going into the fourth.
 
The momentum stayed with the Saxons to start the final quarter of regulation as Wallace upped the lead to seven with another made 3-pointer as the first score of the period. Back-to-back threes from the Knights brought the Saxon lead down to a point, 41-40, but Wallace ended the would-be Mount Saint Mary scoring spree with another 3-pointer to make it a 44-40 Saxon lead. AU's defense and fired-up offense kept the score out of reach for the Knights for the remainder of the game.
 
"We're so thankful to everyone who supports us through Saxon Nation and gave us this great opportunity down here in Puerto Rico," Coach Moskowitz said.
 
The Saxons will next open their 2026 schedule with a road trip to St. John Fisher University on Tuesday, January 6 at 5:30pm in Empire 8 action.