UTICA, NY – A fourth quarter surge propelled the Alfred University women's basketball team back in the win column with a 75-62 Empire 8 victory at Utica University on Friday.
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The Saxons (10-11, 4-8 Empire 8) started out with a slim one-point lead of 15-14 in the first quarter. The Pioneers (6-15, 2-10 Empire 8) jumped in front 20-17 in the early stages of the second, but AU outscored the home team, 19-15, to come back and extend its advantage. Both teams were tied in points in the third with 19. However, it did not affect the Saxons' deficit, and they went on to win the game after outscoring the Pioneers, 22-14, in the fourth.
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Jaidyn Chest (Mayfield, NY/Mayfield) was AU's leading scorer with 31 points on 10-of-15 from the field, 4-of-6 at the 3-point line, and 7-of-11 from the free throw line. Jayda L. Felker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post) finished with 14 points, five rebounds, three steals and one block. Natalee Collins (Waterville, NY/Waterville) grabbed 15 boards to go along with seven points.
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The contest was tightly contested early on, featuring six ties and four lead changes. Chest put on a show with 20 points, including 13 of them in the second quarter. Three minutes left before halftime, the junior registered back-to-back buckets that sparked a 12-5 run, giving the Saxons a 34-29 lead going into the locker room.
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AU began to pull away in the early stages of the third quarter, with three of its four baskets coming from the 3-point line by Felker and Ava Anastasi (Sanborn, NY/Starpoint). The Saxons led by eight as a result, 45-37. The Pioneers posted six unanswered points to trim AU's deficit to three with three minutes to go. Collins, Briana Dorr (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) and Ashaya Wallace (Elmira, NY/Elmira) each contributed a bucket to keep AU up, 53-48, going into the fourth.
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The final 10 minutes belonged to the Saxons. AU held Utica University to just one point while Chest and Collins combined for eight in the early stages of the fourth to make it a double-digit game at 7:21. The Saxons led by as many as 15 points in the final 43 seconds, which helped them earn the victory.
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AU shot 15-of-33 from the field with 6-of-15 from the 3-point line in the second half while holding Utica University to just 10-of-30 with 2-of-9 from behind the arc.
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"Really proud of the work we put together after a disappointing weekend," Head Coach Mike Moskowitz said. "We preach toughness and resilience and this group responded in a big way. Everyone contributed to this win from the work they put in this week. Excited to get an opportunity to do it again tomorrow."
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The Saxons play their final E8 road game of the regular season at SUNY Poly on Saturday at 2:00 PM.