Box Score TROY, NY – Host Russell Sage broke open a tie heading into the fourth quarter and never looked back, handing Nazareth a 66-61 defeat on Saturday in the regular season finale. The Golden Flyers (18-6 overall, 14-4 E8) had already secured the No. 2 seed for next week's Empire 8 Championships, while Sage (16-9 overall, 12-6 E8) was playing for the third or fourth seed. With the win the Gators are the third seed for next week's championships. Top-seeded St. John Fisher and No. 2 Nazareth earn a first round bye and will not play until Friday in the semifinals. Nazareth will take on the winner of No. 3 Sage and No. 6 Alfred on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at St. John Fisher. The full seeding and schedule are as follows:
 
Final 2022-23 Empire 8 Women's Basketball Championship Seeds
#1 – St. John Fisher (18-0 E8, 23-2 Overall)
#2 – Nazareth (14-4 E8, 18-7 Overall)
#3 – Russell Sage (12-6, 16-9 Overall)
#4 – Houghton (10-8, E8, 17-8 Overall)
#5 – Elmira (10-8 E8, 14-10 Overall)
#6 – Alfred (10-8 E8, 15-9 Overall)
 
2022-23 Empire 8 Women's Basketball Championship Schedule
Tuesday, February 21 – First Round (at Higher Seed)
#5 Elmira at #4 Houghton – 7 pm
#6 Alfred at #3 Russell Sage – 6 pm

Friday, February 24 – Semifinals (at St. John Fisher)
Winner of Houghton/Elmira at No. 1 St. John Fisher – 5:30 p.m.
Winner of Russell Sage/Alfred vs. No. 2 Nazareth - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 25 - Championship Final (at St. John Fisher) 
Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2 - 3 p.m.
 
The 14 wins in conference play are the most-ever for the Golden Flyers under head coach Kelly Dunne-Romig. In 2018-19, Nazareth went 13-3 in league play.
 
The Gators Giuliana Pritchard hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter which gave Sage the lead for good at 45-42.
 
Nazareth trailed by as many as 10 points in the fourth near the midway point, but were able to claw within four points at 59-55 following a Brielle Reidinger layup with 1:37 to play. That is as close down the stretch as the Golden Flyers would come.  She finished with eight points, six boards and three assists.
 
It was 24-24 at halftime.
 
Caley Cornwell and freshman Katie MacLachlan paced the Flyers with 14 points apiece, each drilling three triples. MacLachlan also added seven rebounds.
 
Jadyn Abrams had a tough night from the field, going 4-for-14 for 10 points. Kim Davis chipped in seven points and four boards.