ONEONTA, NY – Alfred's Lyndsay Murphy sank two free throws with 3.5 seconds left on the clock to lift the Saxons past Hartwick in Empire 8 women's basketball on Friday night at Lambros Arena. The Hawks fall to 4-6 overall and 1-2 in the league.
The game was a low-scoring, tightly-contested game throughout as neither team held a lead greater than six points the entire night. The lead changed hands 14 times and the score was tied on five occasions.
The Hawks led by the biggest margin of the night, 44-38, with 4:01 to play. Free throws from Alfred's Sarah Federico cut the deficit to four, and following a Hartwick miss on the offensive end, a Kacey Kwiecien bucket made the score 44-42 with under three minutes left.
Hartwick came away empty on the next trip down the floor and Kwiecien made one of two free throws before Tracey Koch (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem) hit a layup to give the Hawks a 46-43 edge with 1:18 to go. Murphy would then connect on a jumper for Alfred and Katrina Caulfield (Palmer, MA/Palmer) split a pair from the line for a two-point, 47-45, Hartwick lead with 20 seconds remaining.
Following a timeout, the Saxons were rewarded with two free throws after a 'Wick foul with nine seconds left. Murphy hit the first shot but a violation nullified the second giving possession back to the Hawks. Alfred fouled, but Fritzi Flores (Bergenfield, NJ/Paramus Catholic) couldn't connect on her pair from the line. Alfred had trouble getting the ball up the floor, but a foul in the back court would put Murphy to the line once again. She calmly sank both attempts to give her team the lead to stay.
After a timeout, Caulfield launched the ball from under the 'Wick basket past midcourt which found freshman Kate Veit (Easthampton, MA/Holyoke Catholic). Her jumper from 19 feet at the buzzer, however, bounced off the back rim.
Both teams struggled offensively in the game. The Hawks shot 25.4% as a group while the Saxons were only slightly better at 34.1%. Hartwick also went to the line 24 times but only made 11 shots (45.8%).
The Blue and White out-rebounded Alfred by a 45-39 margin, which included a season-high 24 offensive rebounds.
Caulfield finished as Hartwick's high scorer with 14 points. She added eight rebounds. Kate Purcell (Buffalo, NY/Mount Mercy Academy) notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Veit added nine points and Flores ended the game with seven. Junior Samantha Fox (Hartwick, NY/Cooperstown) grabbed a team-best 11 rebounds.
Murphy led all scorers with 18. Autumn McLain contributed 11 points and a game-high 15 rebounds for Alfred (6-7, 2-3 E8).
Hartwick plays St. John Fisher at Lambros Arena tomorrow at 2 p.m.