CLEVELAND – Despite a career-high 15 points from sophomore forward Berit Eppard (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek), the No. 20 nationally-ranked Emory University (Ga.) women's basketball team rallied from as many as 14 down to defeat Case Western Reserve University by a score of 75-57 in University Athletic Association action on Friday evening at Horsburgh Gymnasium.
Even with the loss, the Spartans (10-5 overall, 2-2 UAA) have won of seven-of-nine and will conclude their first conference home weekend of the season this Sunday, January 20, versus the University of Rochester (N.Y.) at 2:00 p.m. With the win, Emory improves to 13-2 overall and remains tied for first in the UAA at 3-1.
The Eagles trailed by 14 late in the first half and eventually by nine before starting their run early in the second. Overall, Emory forced 21 turnovers and hit eight three-pointers compared to just one for the Spartans.
Eppard's 15 points were accompanied by four rebounds and three assists. In addition, senior guard Evy Iacono (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) scored 16 to pass Ashleigh Tondo (2006-10) for fifth on the program's career scoring list, and she now has 1,194 points for her career. Sophomore guard Brooke Orcutt (Morrison, Colo./Dakota Ridge) also chipped in with 10 points and a team-high seven boards off of the bench.
In the first half, neither side found the bottom of the bucket until Eppard hit a fast-break layup at the 16:25 mark. Emory then ended a four-minute, 25-second scoreless streak via a jumper from Savannah Morgan at 15:35. From there, the Spartans maintained a small advantage that eventually ballooned to 10, at 22-12, as Orcutt capped an 8-0 run with a fast-break layup with 8:26 left before halftime. Three minutes later, the Spartan lead reached a high of 14 when senior point guard Erica Iafelice (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) canned a three-pointer to make the score 29-15 with 5:12 remaining in the period.
The rest of the half was controlled by the visitors as Emory utilized a 10-2 run to pull within five, 33-28, as Khadijah Sayyid completed a three-point play at 1:39. The Spartans were however able to tack two back onto their lead and went into the locker room with a 35-28 advantage.
In the second, the Spartans scored the opening four points with baskets from Iacono and Eppard before the Eagles reeled off six in a row and pulled within five when Ilene Taso hit a triple with 17:55 remaining. After a brief Spartan run, Emory put the pedal to the floor once again with eight in a row as part of an 11-2 run that tied the score at 45-45 following a Selena Castillo three-pointer at 13:26.
Nearly three minutes later, the Eagles gained their first lead of the game when Hannah Lilly hit a three to make the score 50-47 with 10:54 left to play. Emory's lead later grew to 11, 62-51, following a Tsao layup with 6:40 remaining, and the Spartans never recovered as the visitors cruised for the 18-point win.
Tsao scored a team-high 16 off the bench for Emory, while Lilly and Castillo each contributed 14.
Following Sunday's tilt with Rochester, the Spartans remain at home for a second-straight UAA weekend beginning with the University of Chicago on Friday, Jan. 25 at 6:00 p.m. That game along with a Sunday matchup versus Washington University-St. Louis is designated as Case Western Reserve's eighth annual Throwback Weekend.
Both the Spartan men's and women's basketball teams will be wearing uniforms commemorating Western Reserve University (Red Cats), Case Institute of Technology (Rough Riders) and Mather College. WRU and CIT federated in 1967 to become Case Western Reserve University.