Hamilton College's Halie Serbent '19 enjoyed a career night and the Continentals posted a 66-53 non-conference women's basketball win against the Alfred University Saxons at Hamilton's Margaret Bundy Scott Field House on Friday evening.

The Continentals (5-3 overall) have won five straight games for the first time since November and December 2014. Hamilton never trailed and took the lead for good midway through the second quarter. The Continentals have recorded five consecutive wins in the all-time series against Alfred.

Serbent scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds for her first double-double with the Continentals. She also blocked three shots. Serbent shot 6 of 9 from the field and was a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line.

Carly O'Hern '20 dropped in a season-high 11 points off the bench and Samantha Srinivasan '18 chipped in nine on a trio of 3-pointers for Hamilton. Srinivasan is shooting 54.5 percent (12 of 22) from beyond the arc this season. Mackenzie Aldridge '20 added eight points and three steals, and Caroline Barrett '17 and Kendall Rallins '19 handed out four assists apiece. Barrett is fourth in the NESCAC with 4.1 assists per game.

Jamie Wilcox paced Alfred (2-5) with a game-high 19 points and Demetria Woodard and Maddi Flint contributed 11 apiece. Katlyn Boland pulled down nine boards and dished out four assists, and Bri Hicks also hauled in nine rebounds. The Saxons shot just 26.3 percent from the floor and committed 25 turnovers. Alfred held a 44-41 edge on the glass.

The Continentals led by as many as five points in the first quarter but a 3-pointer by Wilcox with 28 seconds left pulled the Saxons within two at 17-15 after the opening 10 minutes. Wilcox finished the quarter with nine points.

Wilcox opened the second quarter with a layup and tied the score for the third and final time at 17-17. Hamilton followed with a 10-1 run and led the rest of the way. A jumper by O'Hern started the spurt and Barrett made two free throws after a technical foul was whistled on the Alfred bench. Srinivasan made it a five-point possession with a basket from long range and, after a free throw by Boland, Srinivasan capped the run with another 3-pointer for a 27-18 cushion with 5:23 remaining in the half.

The Continentals went into the break with a 30-21 advantage. The Saxons struggled offensively in the second quarter as they made just one basket and turned the ball over seven times.

Alfred cut its deficit to five points three times in the third quarter but didn't get any closer. Woodard made it 34-29 on a layup off an inbounds pass from Boland with 6:30 to go in the quarter. The Saxons were still within six points at 37-31 about one minute later when Hamilton put the game away with a 12-0 run during the next 2:26. Two free throws by Serbent kicked off the spurt and Aldridge made it a 10-point game with a layup. Kate Bushell '17 made two free throws and Aldridge scored the next four points. O'Hern ended the run and made it 49-31 on a jumper with 3:09 left.

The Continentals went into the final quarter with a commanding 55-36 lead. Hamilton shot 50 percent from the field and made 11 free throws in the third quarter. Serbent poured in eight of her 18 points in the third.

A layup by Marie Steiner '20 gave the Continentals their largest lead of the night of 21 points at 57-36 early in the fourth quarter. Alfred didn't get closer than 13 points the rest of the way. Flint scored nine points for the Saxons in the quarter thanks in part to a pair of 3-pointers.

The Hamilton women are off for finals week and the holidays before the Continentals get back on the court with another non-conference home game against William Smith College on Jan. 2, 2017, at 5 p.m.