From University of Chicago Athletics
A game-winning driving layup by Mia Farrell with 2.3 seconds left gave the University of Chicago women's basketball team a dramatic 69-67 win against New York University on Sunday.
The Maroons (11-5, 4-1 UAA) won for the fifth time in six games. The Violets fell to 10-6 overall and 0-5 in the University Athletic Association (UAA).
NYU opened the game up in a zone defense with some full-court press thrown in. UChicago was bogged down initially by the look with a lack of cutters and plenty of ball holding. Halfway through the opening quarter, the Maroons started to find its groove and closed out the period with a 16-6 run. A trio of three-pointers that beat the zone helped the cause.
Farrell was a key contributor on the offensive end, scoring 11 points in the first half which included three jumpers from beyond the arc. NYU countered with guards Shaye McGoey and Amy Harioka who did the majority of the damage for the visitors. McGoey's drives to her left consistently got her close looks at the basket, and Harioka was willing and able to spot up from deep. The duo combined for 41 points and 11 assists over the course of the game.
After a tie at 26-26, freshman forward Taylor Lake pushed UChicago back ahead with a layup and-one. Farrell heated up with a pair of threes to make it 35-26. She also closed out the first half with a jumper just before time expired. The Maroons went to the locker room with a 41-36 edge in hand.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair with each side providing an answer for every basket. Heading into the fourth quarter, UChicago led 55-51. The Violets threw another wrinkle at the hosts to start the fourth quarter with a trapping zone in the half court. In an effort to cut off McGoey's dribble penetration, the Maroons countered with a zone defense of their own.
With UChicago starting to stagnate offensively with long jumpers late in the shot clock, junior guard Elizabeth Nye stepped into the fray and provided a spark. Nye split the zone with an aggressive drive and laid the ball in to make the score 59-53 midway through the quarter. She then stepped outside and nailed a three-pointer less than two minutes later at 64-58.
Senior forward Britta Nordstrom delivered a clutch layup and drew a foul in the process with 2:31 remaining. Nordstrom sunk the free throw and UChicago found itself ahead 67-60. However, NYU kept up the offensive pressure and eventually tied the game up at 67-all with a layup and foul with 19 seconds left. The Violets missed the subsequent free throw, giving UChicago one more possession to win the game.
After a timeout, Farrell received the ball on the right wing above the three-point arc. The freshman guard then made her move to the middle of the lane, and with a defender attached to her hip, she scooped up a lefty layup that dropped through with just over two ticks remaining. NYU was not able to get a last quality look at the basket and the Maroons clinched.
UChicago shot 45.9 percent from the field and 26.9 percent on threes (7-26), while NYU shot 49 percent from the field and 50 percent from long range (5-10). The Maroons won the rebounding battle 37-28 and received 34 bench points.
Three Maroons finished with 13 points each – sophomore forward Olariche Obi, Nordstrom and Farrell. Obi grabbed nine rebounds and Nordstrom totaled seven rebounds and five assists. Nye ended up with 10 points and three assists.