ALFRED, N.Y. – Russell Sage College's women's basketball team was in action Saturday at Alfred University in an Empire 8 match-up. Despite garnering 29 points from sophomore guard Syrita Faraj (Troy, NY/Tamarac), the reigning E8 Rookie of the Year, RSC fell to Alfred University, 63-49. Alfred improves to 8-4 overall and 3-3 in the league, while the Gators are now 6-5 and 2-2 in the conference.

Faraj connected for a game-leading 29 points and netted a double-double as she was the team's high rebounder with 12 boards. The 29-point showing was the second of the year for the sophomore, who scored 29 points in the team's road win over SUNY-Cobleskill on Nov. 28, 2022.  Faraj, who had 12 points and four boards at the intermission erupted for 17 second half points and eight rebounds in the second stanza.

Forward Giuliana Pritchard (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam), a graduate student, added 10 points for the Gators. A transfer student, Pritchard is closing in on her 1,000^th career collegiate point as she now has 963 points in her time both at RSC and at Hartwick.

Faraj, who has now started 37 of 38 games played at Sage, is on a torrid scoring pace as has already connected for 576 points with 321 rebounds. Twice this season she has scored the most points of any Empire 8 player with her 29 points this season and is the league's leading scorer with her 18.5 ppg average.

Looking ahead, RSC plays host to Hartwick College on January 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the Robinson Gym at the Kahl Campus Center in Albany in an Empire 8 match-up.

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