ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University women's basketball team picked up its first Empire 8 win of the season after defeating SUNY Poly in commanding fashion, 67-37, on Friday.
 
After a scoreless first half, Jaidyn Chest (Mayfield, NY/Mayfield) rebounded to lead AU with 18 points, plus seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Libby Benner (Nunda, NY/Keshequa) was a strong force for the Saxons (7-5, 1-2 Empire 8) as she racked up a career-high 16 points on 6-of-12 with 4-of-9 from behind the arc. She also notched four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Ashaya Wallace (Elmira, NY/Elmira) matched her season-high 12 points while grabbing four rebounds and recording two assists and two steals.
 
AU set the tone early in the first quarter. The Saxons shot 6-of-15 while holding the Wildcats (3-7, 0-2 Empire 8) to just 1-of-12. Benner was perfect from the field with two of her baskets coming from the 3-point line. The first 10 minutes ended with AU leading 17-4.
 
The start of the second quarter saw Benner, along with Natalee Collins (Waterville, NY/Waterville) and Kate Quinn (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West) bang out three consecutive threes. Wallace got the rebound on the defensive end, dribbled the ball down the court and laid it into the basket for AU's largest lead of the first half, 30-8. The halftime score was a 32-16 comfortable advantage for the Saxons.
 
AU continued its dominance in the third, outscoring SUNY Poly, 22-11. Chest took over with 13 of her points during the quarter. She was efficient in her scoring, draining two 3-point shots and registering two on the fast break with under five minutes to go. The Saxons ended the quarter up by 27, 54-27. AU's lead continued to grow in the fourth, reaching as high as 35 points with 2:21 remaining.
 
The Saxons finished the game with 24-of-68 from the field, for a field goal percentage of 35.3%. They also converted 12-of-36 (.333) from 3-point range and 7-of-10 (.700) in free throws. Defensively, AU held the Wildcats to just 12-of-54 (.222) in shooting overall and 2-of-9 (.222) from behind the arc. SUNY Poly led in free throw scoring, making 11-of-22 (.500) at the charity stripe.
 
The Saxons saw 31 points combined from the players who came off the bench. AU outscored SUNY Poly, 22-10, in the paint while recording 14 on 19 offensive rebounds and 10 on the fast break.
 
"We did a really great job running in transition and sharing the ball today," Head Coach Mike Moskowitz said. "Our half court defense was really good, and we finished defensive possessions with a high rebound rate. Proud of the work we've put in and us continuing to focus on getting better every day."
 
The Saxons look to finish out the week strong against Utica on Saturday at 2:00 PM.