CLEVELAND, Ohio – Double-double efforts by senior forwards Erin Hollinger (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon) and Chelsea Peck (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) keyed a 61-54 victory for the Case Western Reserve University women's basketball team versus New York University on Sunday afternoon at Horsburgh Gymnasium. The Spartans donned Mather College uniforms as part of CWRU's seventh annual Throwback Weekend.
The Spartans (12-8, 5-4 University Athletic Association) have won four in a row heading into its second stretch this winter of facing three-straight nationally-ranked opponents. NYU drops to 10-10 overall and 2-7 in the UAA.
Hollinger totaled 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Peck added 12 points and 10 boards. Junior point guard Erica Iafelice (North Canton, Ohio/Canton Hoover) also turned in one of her most productive efforts of the season with 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Spartans jumped out of the gate with the first five points as part of a 10-1 run that ended in a layup by Peck at the 17:48 mark. NYU came back with a 12-3 surge of its own and tied the score at 13 following a Bianca Storts layup with 9:07 left in the first half. The Violets then grabbed their first lead at 7:34 when a Melissa Peng layup moved the score to 15-13. NYU's run eventually reached 16-3 before the next Case points at 6:43, and the Violets would go into the break with a 26-25 lead.
In the second half, the two sides went back-and-forth before Case regained the lead at 37-36 as Hollinger hit a free throw with 12:50 left to play. A three-pointer from Iafelice on the next possession capped a 9-2 Spartan run and made the score 40-36 at 12:37. The Spartans never relinquished the lead from that point, building their advantage to 11 (58-47) as Peck hit a layup during an 11-2 run with 3:30 left to play. Another Iafelice layup at 1:39 stretched the run to 13-2 and the lead to a game-high 13, at 60-47, as Case held the Violets without a field goal for 6:51. NYU was able to score seven of the game's last eight points, but it wasn't enough as the Spartans held on for the seven-point win.
The Spartans are on the road next weekend at Washington University-St. Louis at 6:00 p.m. (CDT) on Friday, February 10 and University of Chicago (Ill.) at 2:00 p.m. (CDT) on Sunday, Feb. 12.