From Washington University Athletics
The No. 10-ranked Washington University in St. Louis women's basketball team outscored No. 7 University of Rochester 26-7 in the third quarter as the Bears snapped the Yellowjackets' 10-game winning streak with a 59-38 win in University Athletic Association (UAA) play Friday night.
After trailing by three at halftime, WashU put together an impressive all-around performance in the third quarter to break the game open. The Yellowjackets made their first two baskets of the quarter to extend their lead to 28-23 with 9:04 left in the third. It was all WashU from there, as the Bears finished the quarter with a 24-3 run and limited Rochester to 1-of-9 from the field while forcing eight turnovers. Offensively, seniors Amanda Martinezand Jordan Thompson combined to score 18 of the Bears' 26 points in the quarter, and Thompson also assisted on four baskets while Martinez had three steals.
The Bears continued their dominance in the fourth quarter, extending the lead to as many as 23 after a putback by junior Lily Sarros and a jumper by junior Zoe Vernon made it 56-33 with 6:04 remaining. The Yellowjackets got a pair of baskets in the paint to get to within 19 with 2:45 to play, before junior Jenn Dynis finished the scoring with a layup. The Bears outrebounded Rochester 5-0 in the final three minutes of the game, including four offensive boards, and allowed the Yellowjackets to have just one possession in that time.
WashU got off to a quick start in the game, jumping out to an 11-0 lead on a putback by Martinez with 5:24 to play. The Bears held Rochester to 0-of-3 from the field and forced six turnovers to open the game. After a timeout, the Yellowjackets scored six straight points and a pair of free throws brought them to within 14-11 at the end of the first quarter. The Bears maintained their lead early in the second quarter, but Rochester scored the final six points of the half to take a 24-21 lead into the break.
WashU shot 37.7 percent (26-69) from the field in the game, including 52.9 percent (18-34) in the second half. Rochester finished with 31.3 percent (15-48) field-goal shooting. The Bears finished with a 44-36 rebounding advantage, and had 22 offensive rebounds in the game. Defensively, WashU forced Rochester to commit 24 turnovers to finish with a 27-12 advantage in points off turnovers.
Martinez led WashU with 17 points, including 12 in the third quarter, on 8-of-11 from the field. She also had eight rebounds and a game-high five steals. Sarros notched the first double-double of her career with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Thompson added nine points, all in the second half, and five assists.
WashU improved to 14-3 overall and 5-1 in the UAA with the while, while Rochester fell to 15-2 overall and 5-1 in the conference. The Bears and Yellowjackets are in a three-way tie with New York University for first place in the UAA standings. The Bears finish their four-game home stand and the first half of conference play by hosting Emory University at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31. The Eagles lost at the University of Chicago 79-73 Friday night.
Bear Notebook: WashU improved to 43-15 all-time against Rochester, and 25-3 against the Yellowjackets at the WU Field House … The Bears are 3-1 against ranked teams this season … It was the first time Rochester was held below 40 points in a game since Nov. 19, 2005 … WashU is 185-11 all-time in UAA games at home … The two teams combined for just three three-pointers and 12 made free throws in the game … Sophomore Natalie Orr had five points and three rebounds in the first start of her career for the Bears … The Yellowjackets entered the game leading the UAA in three-point percentage, but was just 1-of-10 from beyond the arc … It was just the fifth time this season Rochester has been outrebounded.