KEUKA PARK, N.Y. — The Keuka College Women's Basketball team lost at home to Alfred University 54-51 in an Empire 8 Conference game on Friday night.

Mary Cotter (Hershey, Pa. / Hershey) led Keuka College (5-16, 0-12 Empire 8) with 23 points in the loss. Senior Katie Deatherage (Canandaigua, N.Y. / Marcus Whitman) recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Wolves.

Alfred University 54 at Keuka College 51

It was a back-and-forth start between Keuka College and Alfred University on Friday night. The Saxons grew a five-point lead during the frame, but Sophia Babcock (Oswego, N.Y. / Oswego) hit a three for the Wolves to cut the margin to two. It was the first three of the game for either team. However, Alfred answered back with a three on their next possession and maintained the five-point edge, 14-9, after one.

The Saxons pushed their lead to a half-high seven early in the second, but the Wolves fought back. A three-point play by Brooke Burd (Canisteo, N.Y. / Canisteo-Greenwood) made it a four-point margin at 20-16. A pair of free throws for Katie Deatherage made it a two-point game midway through the second. The Wolves tied the game at 24-24 as Janea Hamilton-Brown (Liverpool, N.Y. / Liverpool) stole the ball and later hit a jumper for the Wolves. Alfred would answer back and regain their five-point cushion by halftime, leading Keuka 31-26.

Alfred scored the opening basket of the half, but the Wolves responded with nine unanswered points, their largest run of the game. A euro-step layup by Cotter drew it to a one-point game at 33-32. The Wolves then tied the game with a free throw by Brooke Burd and took the lead with a pair of free throws from Katie Deatherage. The Saxons responded with the next seven points to regain the lead. Cotter put a bow on the quarter with a jumper as Keuka trailed by just three, 40-37, going into the final quarter.

After having just one for the first 30 minutes, Mary Cotter hit back-to-back threes to open the fourth quarter to tie the game and then give Keuka the lead. Alfred responded and the game would go down to the wire. With the score tied 47-47 with three minutes remaining, the Saxons went on another 7-0 run to take control of the game. The Wolves fought until the end, including a buzzer-beating three by Mary Cotter, but the Saxons would defeat the Wolves 54-51 on Friday night.

KC Notes:

• Keuka College is now 16-30 all-time against Alfred University
• The 46 meetings are the second-most in program history behind the 57 games played against Cazenovia College
• With her team-leading 23 points, Mary Cotter set a new personal best for points in a season
• Deatherage is the third different Wolf to record a double-double this season. She surpassed 400 career rebounds in the process
• Cotter added eight rebounds for the Wolves as did Brooke Burd. Keuka College won the rebounding battle 50-49
• Cotter went the distance for the Wolves, playing all 40 minutes. She is the first player to go the full 40 for the Wolves since Taylor Szwec went all 40 minutes for Keuka College against Lancaster Bible College in the 2014 North Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament

Up Next for Keuka College: The game against Alfred started a season-ending homestand for the Wolves. Keuka College will be back in action on Saturday afternoon as they host Houghton University at 2 p.m.