The Emory University women's basketball team began UAA conference play against the Rochester Yellowjackets on Saturday afternoon with a close 75-69 victory in Rochester, New York. With her 23 points in the game, graduate student Claire Brock scored her 1,000th career point.
The Eagles improve to 11-1 to start the season, just the second time in program history with an 11-1 record after 12 games and now hold an 11-game win streak - the second-longest winning streak in program history. Brock shot 50.0 percent in threes (4-8) and went 7-16 from the field. Alongside Brock was senior Izzy Munson who was looking for a big comeback after an injury against Hardin-Simmons. Munson posted a career-high 19 points against the Yellowjackets and went 3-5 from beyond the perimeter. Junior Morgan Laudick played big for Emory on the defense notching 11 rebounds, 10 defensive.
The first quarter was a runaway for Emory with Brock and Munson scoring 13 combined points to give the Eagles a 13-0 lead with 5:17 left in the quarter. A late pair of free throws from sophomore Katherine Martini gave Emory a 17-0 lead before a three pointer from Brock gave the Eagles a 20-0 lead with 1:38 remaining. The Yellowjackets were able to put up four points in the last minute of the quarter thanks to standout Callie McCulley taking a 20-4 score into the second quarter.
Rochester was looking for a big comeback in the second quarter outscoring the Eagles 23-12. Munson was the first Eagle to score in the second making a layup with 7:50 left before the half to give Emory a 10-point 22-12 lead. A three pointer from the Jackets made it a three-point game, but freshman Alexandra Loucopoulos followed with a three of her own giving Emory a 25-19 advantage with 4:32 in the half. Munson scored five more points in the last two minutes to take a 32-27 lead into the locker room.
Emory was able to pull away again in the third quarter starting with a jumper from Brock in the first 15 seconds. Rochester was able to bring the game to two points with just over seven minutes left in the quarter but juniors Erin Martin and Daniella Aronsky made five points to broaden the Eagles' lead. Brock continued her three-point shooting making her 15th point of the game with 3:26 remaining in the third followed by a layup from Loucopoulos to give Emory a 50-32 advantage. With eight seconds remaining in the quarter, Martin drains a three with an assist from Aronsky to take a 57-41 lead into the last quarter.
The Yellowjackets were able to outscore Emory again in the fourth quarter but it wasn't enough to take the game. Rochester opened the quarter with an 13-4 run but the Eagles were able to hold onto a 61-54 lead with 6:38 left in the game. Emory was able to widen the gap again holding onto a 68-61 lead with 1:22 on the clock before finishing with a few free throws to take the game 75-69.
The Eagles outshot the Yellowjackets from beyond the perimeter going 11-26 (42.3%) compared to Rochester's 4-20 (20.0%) but the Jackets were able to take advantage of points in the field shooting 38.0 percent (27-71) over Emory's 36.5 percent (23-63).
UAA conference play will continue for the Eagles on Friday, January 12 at 6:30 pm where they will face WashU in St. Louis, Missouri before making the trip to Chicago on Sunday, January 14.