ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The 22nd-ranked University of Rochester
women's basketball team blew open a one-point game by outscoring
the visiting Brandeis University Judges, 24-9, over the final 6:44
of the contest to take a 77-61 victory in University Athletic
Association (UAA) action today.
Brandeis (10-4, 1-2 UAA) opened the game strong, jumping out to a
22-14 lead with 7:28 left in the first half following a fast-break
lay-up by junior Lauren Orlando (Peabody, Mass.) on a feed from
sophomore Jessica Chapin (Mendon, N.Y.). After the teams traded
buckets, Rochester (13-1, 3-0 UAA) scored eight unanswered points,
tying the contest at 24-24 on a traditional three-point play by
rookie Courtney Donovan (Grand Island, N.Y.). The Judges reclaimed
a 30-26 lead on back-to-back hoops by Chapin an senior Kiersten
Holgash (Easton, Pa.), but UR scored the final four points of the
stanza to send the game to the locker room tied, 30-30. Chapin and
Brandeis senior Jaime Capra (Old Bridge, N.J.) led all players with
eight points each in the first half, while three Rochester players
had seven points in the first.
Rochester opened up an early five-point lead in the second half on
a 3-pointer by junior Helen Baroody (Cazenovia, N.Y.), but the
Judges stayed close, keeping the deficit no less than six points in
the early going. Junior Cassidy Dadaos (Healdsburg, Calif.)
converted a three-point play with 13:35 on the clock to cut the
lead to 43-42. Twice more, the Yellowjackets extended the lead to
five points, but big trifectas from sophomores Carmela Breslin
(McKees Rocks, Pa.) and Lauren Rashford (Whitesboro, N.Y.) cut the
margin back to one. Unfortunately, the last long-distance bomb by
Rashford was as close as the Judges got the rest of the way.
Rochester was paced down the stretch by rookie guard Melissa
Alwardt (Greece, N.Y.), who scored 11 of her game-high 20 points
consecutively in the final 6:44 stretch.
Brandeis was paced by Chapin, who scored 16 points on six-of-14
shooting with three 3-pointers. She also had team-highs with eight
rebounds, three assists and three steals. Capra finished with 12
points and seven boards, while Dadaos also reached double figures
with 10 points.
Rochester was paced by Alwardt's 20 off the bench. Her career-high
came on seven-of-14 from the field, including four-of-nine from
beyond the arc, and two free throws. Juniors Alex Porter
(Rockville, Md.) and Julie Marriott (Fairport, N.Y.) each tallied
14 points. Porter led all players with nine rebounds and six
steals, while Porter had a game-high six assists. The
Yellowjackets' 77 points were the most allowed by the Judges this
season, who had only given up more than 60 points twice. After 31
percent shooting in the first half (11-35), UR nearly doubled the
performance in the second, connecting on 60 percent (15-25) to
finish at 43 percent (26-60).
Brandeis is next in action on Friday evening when they host the
University of Chicago at 6:00 p.m. in another UAA clash.