ROCHESTER, NY – The Alfred University women's basketball team battled it out at St. John Fisher University, but fell short by a score of 46-41 on Tuesday.
Jaidyn Chest (Mayfield, NY/Mayfield) led the Saxons (6-5, 0-2 Empire 8) with 13 points while registering five rebounds and three assists.
Natalee Collins (Waterville, NY/Waterville) had another big night on the glass as she grabbed 14 rebounds, marking her eighth double-figure performance of the season.
The contest started with four ties and four lead changes in the first quarter. AU had the upper hand from the field as it shot 6-of-16 overall while St. John Fisher University (4-6, 1-0 Empire 8) was 4-of-15. Chest posted seven points, including the fast break layup with 30 seconds left that put AU up 13-11 at the end of the quarter.
The second quarter consisted of shooting woes for both teams. The Saxons were able to notch six points compared to the Cardinals' four to maintain a 19-15 advantage at the half.
At the start of the third, AU went up by six thanks to a layup from Nelly Mbugeni (Tanga, Tanzania/Masai Girls) and two free throws from
Jayda L. Felker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post). However, St. John Fisher University responded with a 16-2 run to erase the Saxons' lead and jump in front, 33-25, heading into the fourth. AU was outscored, 18-6, by the Cardinals.
Collins and Felker combined for six points on the layup to keep the Saxons in the game at the start of the fourth, 35-31. With St. John Fisher University up by nine at the 2:20 mark, Chest and Collins registered the next seven points, including 5-of-6 at the charity stripe, to make it a four-point game, 42-38. Libby Benner (Nunda, NY/Keshequa) drained a 3-point shot with eight seconds left to get close within two, 43-41. However, it was not enough for the comeback as the Cardinals maintained their lead with 7-of-10 at the free throw line.
Both teams each made 16 field goals, with AU having the most attempts (61). St. John Fisher University had the upper hand at the charity stripe with 11-of-16 (.688) compared to the Saxons' 7-of-11 (.636).
AU had a 24-18 advantage in the paint and 10 points off 16 offensive rebounds. St. John Fisher University notched 17 points off 18 Saxon turnovers.
"Really proud of how hard we played tonight," Head Coach Mike Moskowitz said. "We looked more like ourselves, which is nice to see after a great week of practice. We had some missed opportunities on both ends we'd like back, especially in such a low-scoring game. Every possession is magnified by that much more. But I'm really pleased with how we played today as we figure things out this year."
The Saxons return to Terry S. Glannis Family Arena for their first home game of 2026, hosting SUNY Poly on Friday at 5:30 PM.
-- Swords Forward Saxons --
