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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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"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."
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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.