WALTHAM, Mass. – After the Brandeis University women's
basketball team led by as many as 20 points in the first half, the
Emory women outscored them, 47-21, in the second half en route to a
75-63 University Athletic Association (UAA) win in Red Auerbach
Arena tonight.
Brandeis (14-5, 5-3 UAA) owned a 22-18 lead with 8:21 left in the
first half when the Judges went on a big run, outscoring Emory,
18-2, over the next six minutes. Brandeis connected on four
3-pointers in the stretch, with senior Kiersten Holgash's (Easton,
Pa.) long bomb with 2:25 lead giving the hosts a 40-20 lead with
2:25 left. After rookie Amber Strodthoff (DePere, Wisc.) hit a
bucket with 1:46 left to put Brandeis ahead, 42-22, the Eagles gave
a glimpse of things to come by scoring the final six points of the
half to cut the Brandeis lead to 42-28 at the break.
In the first half, junior Lauren Orlando (Peabody, Mass.) scored
nine points, while senior Jaime Capra (Old Bridge, N.J.) had eight
to lead the Judges. Brandeis dominated the first half, outshooting
Emory, 50% (17-34) to 36% (9-25), outrebounding them, 20-13, and
winning the turnover battle, 7-5.
Emory (10-9, 3-5 UAA) came out of the locker room a different team,
led by junior Kate Corkle (River Forest, Ill.). After the teams
traded 3-pointers to open the half, Corkle scored 10 straight
points, including a pair of trifectas, to cut the lead to 45-41
just over five minutes into the second. Holgash stayed the Eagle
momentum by dialing long distance again to push the lead back to
seven, but five different Emory players scored on the next five
possessions, while Brandeis missed three shots and committed a
turnover. Sophomore LeShonda Lillard (Bloomington, Ind.) tied the
game with a trifecta with 11:57 left in the contest. Sophomore
Whitney Martin (Barrington, Ill.) gave the Eagles a lead they would
not relinquish at the 10:52 mark. Emory pulled away from there for
the 75-63 win, becoming just the second team to score more than 70
on the Judges this season.
In the second half, it was Emory who stuffed the stat sheet. The
visitors shot better, 58% (18-31) to 27% (7-26), hit the boards
20-12, and forced 12 turnovers while committing nine.
Capra ended up leading all players in scoring and rebounding with
16 points and seven boards. Sophomore guard Jessica Chapin (Mendon,
N.Y.) had 13 points, while Orlando finished with 11 and Holgash had
10.
Emory got 14 points from junior Lora Turner (Florence, Ala.) and 13
each from Corkle and Lillard. Junior Kendall Boyd (Eden Prairie,
Minn.) added 11. Corkle and Martin tied for team-high honors with
six rebounds, while junior Erica Kaplan (Commack, N.Y.) had a
game-high five assists. Lillard led all players with four steals
and also had four assists. As a team, the Eagles had 23 assists on
27 baskets.