ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Freshman Britta Nordstrom made a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute and added a layup 30 seconds later as the University of Chicago outscored the University of Rochester, 88-85, in a high-scoring women's basketball game at the Louis Alexander Palestra on Sunday afternoon.
Maggie Ely led Chicago (10-8 overall, 4-3 University Athletic Association) with a career-high 29 points, including five three-point goals. Nordstrom finished with 19 points, and Claire Devaney added 18, hitting seven of nine floor shots.
Loren Wagner scored a career high 28 points for Rochester (7-11, 1-6). She added 14 rebounds for her 10th double-double this season. Sarah Kaminsky scored a career high 21 points. She hit seven of 11 from the floor, five of seven on 3-point shots.
Chicago shot 50% from the floor (31 of 62) and 56% outside the arc (10 of 18). Rochester made 49% of its floor shots (33 of 68), 39% on 3-pointers (5 of 13). The Yellowjackets held a 40-30 edge on the glass and scored 18 second-chance points off 14 offensive boards.
Neither team seized control in the first half. The largest lead was seven points – twice by Rochester (33-26 at 4:39 on a jumper by Danielle McNabb, then 35-28 with 3:36 left on a jumper from Emily Lewis). McNabb's rebound layup with two-tenths of a second left gave Rochester a 41-37 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Ely's 3-pointer pulled Chicago within one point early in the half. Rochester went on a 10-2 spurt for a 55-46 lead at 13:52. Wagner scored eight of the 10 points.
Chicago eventually forged a tie at 63-63 (9:10). Wagner's layup put Rochester up, 65-63, before Chicago ran off nine straight – four points from Devaney – to take a 72-65 lead with less than seven minutes to play.
Rochester answered over the next three minutes, tying the score twice on back-to-back treys from Kaminsky.
Single free throws from Kelsey Hurley and Wagner put Rochester up, 82-81, with 1:02 left. Nordstrom sank a three from the left corner in front of her own bench at 0:49 (84-82). After Rochester threw the ball away, she made a fast break layup against pressure for an 86-82 lead at 0:16. Kaminsky's fifth three-pointer of the game cut it to one point with seven seconds left. The Yellowjackets fouled Ely with four seconds to play. She sank both free throws. Rochester rushed the ball upcourt, but McNabb's 3-point shot fell off the rim at the buzzer.
NOTES: This was the highest-scoring women's basketball game involving Rochester since January 16, 2011 in St. Louis (Washington 101, Rochester 90 in double overtime). That was 83 games ago…Ally Zywicki had seven assists, leaving her three shy of tying for 11th place career-wise (Kelly Bowman, 1993-97, 250). .. Loren Wagner is four rebounds shy of 11th place. She has 653 rebounds (Kelly Conors, 1985-89, had 657).