DANVILLE, VA – With four players scoring in double figures and two of them posting double-doubles, the University of Rochester raced to an 81-64 women's basketball victory over Averett University at the Grant Center on Wednesday afternoon.
Rochester improved to 6-5 and posted its first road win of the year. Averett is 1-7. The Cougars have lost five in a row.
Emily Lewis scored a career best 17 points for Rochester and grabbed six rebounds – four offensive – in 21 minutes off the bench. She hit seven of nine from the floor, three of five from the line, made three assists and one steal.
Kelsey Hurley scored 14 points, Loren Wagner had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Tylar Guerrieri had 11 points and 11 rebounds – both career highs. Wagner's double-double was her sixth of the season.
Brianna Taylor led Averett with 13 points and five boards. Aundrea Burns scored 12 points and Jessica Myers added 11 points.
Rochester hit 33 of 65 from the floor (50.8%), two of three outside the arc (both by Sarah Kaminsky), and 13 of 19 from the line. Averett was 24 of 65 from the field (36.9%), seven of 17 outside the arc (41.2%), and nine of 19 at the line (47.4%).
The game pitted Rochester head coach Jim Scheible against former assistant coach Liz Hickey. She coached at Rochester from 2008-09 through 2010-11. This is her third season as the head coach at Averett.
In the first half, a layup by Taylor pulled Averett within 14-10 seven minutes into the game. Lewis made one free throw to ignite an 11-0 run over the next three minutes as the Yellowjackets moved ahead, 25-10. Lewis scored five points in the burst. Katie Weiner made two free throws, and Guerrieri completed the spurt, hitting a jumper and following with a layup. Rochester led, 43-31 at the half.
That was as close as it got in the second half. Rochester's lead peaked at 26, 69-43, with 7:17 to play. Guerrieri sandwiched layups around another layup by Kelsey Hurley and Wagner sank two free throws.
On Saturday, Rochester plays in Atlanta against Emory University in the University Athletic Association opener for both teams. Emory is the defending UAA women's champion. Saturday's game will be Scheible's 400th game as Rochester's head coach.