CLEVELAND – For the second straight game on the road trip, Rochester had a chance to score the winning basket at the buzzer, but host Case Western Reserve rallied for a 79-72 overtime victory over the Yellowjackets on Sunday afternoon.
It was Throwback Weekend on the Case campus and marked the third time the Yellowjackets played in such a game dating back to the 2009 season.
A crucial turnover and an inadvertent foul in the last 12 seconds allowed Case to tie the score and Rochester's final shot at the regulation horn was off the mark.
The loss knocks Rochester's record down to 14-10 overall, 6-7 in the University Athletic Association. Case is 8-16 overall, 2-11 in the UAA.
Al Leslie and Ally Zywicki combined for 45 points for Rochester. Leslie knocked down 11 of 14 floor shots and collected 14 rebounds. Zywicki produced her second highest point total of the season. She hit eight of 19 from the floor, two from long range. With the 20 points, she boosted her career total to 817 points and moved into 19th place on Rochester's career scoring chart.
Sarah Kaminsky added 10 points for Rochester, her second game in a row with double figure point totals. Tylar Guerrieri grabbed 11 rebounds. Rochester held a 48-39 advantage on the glass and scored 17 second chance points.
Three Case starters scored the majority of points for the hosts. Brooke Orcutt had 19 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Berit Eppard had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Jessica McCoy scored 17 points. She was 7-7 at the foul line and made two clutch free throws with five seconds left in regulation. That tied the score and when the Yellowjackets missed a jumper just before the buzzer, sent the game into overtime.
Case led by as much as seven points in the first half (23-16) with 13:07 left in the period. Rochester fought back to within 33-31 at intermission. The Spartan lead grew quickly to eight points in the first two minutes with Eppard scoring four of the first six Case points.
Rochester hung with it. A 3-pointer by Kaminsky put the Yellowjackets back in front, 47-46, midway through the second half. It see-sawed before Rochester went back in front. Kaminsky sank two free throws, stretching the UR lead to seven, 62-55, at 4:17.
The Yellowjackets went cold. Case pulled even at 64-64 on Orcutt's layup with 1:20 to play. Leslie put the Yellowjackets ahead, 66-64, with a layup at 0:42.
Laura Mummey missed a layup for Case with 14 seconds to play. Lauren Deming rebounded and was fouled immediately to stop the clock. It was Case's sixth foul which forced the Yellowjackets to inbound. Rochester couldn't get the ball inbounds and was whistled for a five-second violation that gave the ball back to the Spartans under their own basket at 0:12. They inbounded but a pass inside was tipped away. In the battle to grab the loose ball, Rochester was called for a foul. That sent McCoy to the line where she calmly made both free throws to tie the score. Rochester rushed the ball upcourt but the final shot caromed off the back of the iron, sending the game to overtime.
In the extra session, Eppard scored five points in a span of 37 seconds late in the period to push Case into a 75-71 lead with 1:09 to go. Deming made one of two free throws with 55 seconds left, getting Rochester within a three-pointer of tying the score. Case ran down the shot clock and Orcutt provided the clincher, making a layup just before the shot clock horn for a 77-72 lead with :26 remaining.