WALTHAM, MA- Rochester stayed in the thick of the women's basketball race in the University Athletic Association by posting a 77-65 victory over BrandeisUniversity at the Red Auerbach Arena on Sunday afternoon.
The Yellowjackets took care of the ball (11 turnovers, compared to 18 for the Judges), had the perimeter game working (eight three-point goals, scored by four different players), hit their foul shots (15-18), and used contributions from the bench (24 points and 11 rebounds from the non-starters).
Add it up and it gives Rochester a 15-5 overall record, 6-3 in the UAA with five games left. Rochester is one game behind the University of Chicago and Washington University-St. Louis (both are 7-2 UAA) and that's where the Yellowjackets are headed next weekend. Brandeis slipped to 11-9 overall, 3-6 UAA.
Alexandra Leslie led Rochester with 22 points, hitting 10 of 17 floor shots and 2-2 at the line. Lizzy Atkinson was second in scoring with 14 points (4-7 from the floor, 2-4 outside the arc, 4-4 at the stripe). Sarah Kaminsky scored 11 points on 4-5 shooting, had one assist and two steals. Lauren Deming scored nine points, hit three three-point goals, and grabbed seven boards. Lauren Foleyscored eight points, hit a pair of three-pointers, handed out three assists, and blocked a shot. Lena Ethington contributed six points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 21 minutes.
Maria Jackson and Sydney Sodine led Brandeis with 18 points apiece. Jackson was tough on the glass, grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds. Sodine had the strong shooting eye – she made 7 of 10 from the field. Paris Hodges had 13 points and seven rebounds.
Brandeis held a more-than-sizeable 49-28 edge on the glass. The Judges grabbed 21 offensive rebounds and turned those into 12 second-chance points. Brandeis committed 18 turnovers though, and it led to 18 Rochester points. The Yellowjackets had 11 turnovers and the Judges scored eight points from that.
UR was a shade under 50% from the floor in the first half (15-31) and held a 40-28 halftime lead. Brandeis cut into the deficit early in the third quarter. An 8-2 run pulled the hosts within six, 42-36, with 6:35 left in the quarter after a Jackson layup. Leslie (two free throws and a layup) traded four points with the Hodges sisters – two free throws by Noel, two more by Paris and the lead was just six again, 46-40, with 3:15 left.
Atkinson hit a 10 footer off the left baseline at the three-minute mark. That ignited a 13-7 Rochester run to end the quarter and give UR a 59-47 lead through three. Atkinson scored six of the 13 points and Ethington had four more.
Two free throws from Paris Hodges got Brandeis within 10, 61-51, with 7:47 left. Foley and Atkinson sandwiched three-pointers around a Jackson layup and Rochester carried a 14-point lead, its largest, into the last 5:35 of play.
The Yellowjackets started quickly. Jackson's early basket put Brandeis ahead, 7-5, in the first quarter. Leslie hit a jumper 30 seconds later to start a 14-0 run. Atkinson had five points in the spurt (a three-pointer and two free throws). Leslie scored four points, Deming canned a trey, and Ethington hit a jumpshot. It was 19-7 with 81 seconds left in the period. The lead was 19-11 after one.