From University of Rochester Athletics
Alexandra Leslie scored 25 points and Lauren Foley added a career-high 20 to spark the University of Rochester to an 86-79 victory over Carnegie Mellon University in a women's basketball game Friday night at the Louis Alexander Palestra.
This was a big win for the Yellowjackets (16-7 overall, 7-5 University Athletic Association). Both teams came into the game ranked regionally (Rochester #3 in the East, Carnegie Mellon #7 in the Great Lakes) and were hoping a victory would enhance their chances with the selection committee at the end of this month.
Foley sank four of seven outside the arc and was 7-12 from the field overall. She had three assists in 30 minutes. Leslie was 8-13 from the field, 9-10 at the foul line, had nine rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 29 minutes. Lauren Deming added 15 points to accompany five rebounds, one assist, and two steals.
Katharine Higgins led CMU with 21 points, including four three-point goals. Dominique Petach scored 18 points, and Lisa Murphy had 12 points five assists, two steals and seven rebounds. Meghan Jaeb hit two late three-pointers to finish with 10 points.
Carnegie Mellon is 16-7 overall, 5-7 in the UAA. The loss is CMU's sixth in the last seven games.
It was a game that required total commitment from all the players and the Yellowjackets got it. Brenna James had three points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Lizzy Atkinson hit a pair of three-pointers. Lena Ethington had seven points, seven rebounds, and two steals in 22 minutes. Jillian Silvestri had two big free throws down the stretch. Sarah Kaminsky had six points, three assists, and two steals.
Mary Kronenwetter was able to play in the paint against Murphy. She gave the Yellowjackets three defensive rebounds in 11 minutes. Maura McCartney had a pair of defensive boards, and Ally Forness had a clutch follow in the second quarter to push Rochester back in front after the Tartans tied the score at 22-22.
This was the second meeting of the year between Leslie and Murphy. They were voted Co-Players of the Year in the UAA last season and First Team All-Americans by D3hoops.com. Murphy and CMU won the earlier battle in Pittsburgh. She scored 26 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked five shots. Leslie had 25 points, 10 rebounds, and one block. CMU won, 71-62.
Down by four late in the second quarter, CMU used a 10-2 burst to push ahead, 34-30. Higgins and Jenn Mayberger hit three-pointers and Murphy finished the spurt with a 14 footer in the lane.
Rochester answered with five straight points: two free throws by Leslie (after Murphy's second foul) and a three-pointer from Foley out of the right corner with 2.1 seconds left in the half. UR led, 35-34, at halftime. On the other side of halftime, Deming drove for a layup and Leslie hit two jumpers in the paint. Rochester went ahead by seven, 41-34. The lead stretched to 11, 48-37, after Foley canned a trey from right wing, then followed with a driving layup. Carnegie cut the deficit to five points, 50-45, and was within six, 55-49, at the end of three periods thanks to Petach making two free throws.
Higgins hit another three to keep CMU within striking distance, 60-57, two minutes into the fourth quarter. Leslie hit a jumper off the right block, Deming made two layups, and Lena Ethington stole the ball and drove for a layup to restore an 11-point lead (68-57).
Jaeb's six footer in the lane kept Carnegie within nine, 72-63. Leslie sank two free throws (after drawing Murphy's fourth foul), Deming hit one of two, Ethington curled in for a layup, and Foley scored on a backdoor layup. That made it 79-65.
Rochester was ahead by 12, 82-70, with 92 seconds left. Jaeb hit two three-pointers before CMU fouled. Rochester ruined the strategy. James was 2-2 from the line and Kaminsky matched her. Higgins sank her fourth trey at the buzzer.