From University of Chicago Athletics
The No. 23 University of Chicago women's basketball team continued its winning ways en route to its ninth-straight victory, topping visiting New York University 83-59 Friday at the Ratner Athletics Center.
The Maroons (11-2, 2-0 University Athletic Association) also remained unbeaten in league play while the Violets fell to 8-5 overall and 1-1 in the UAA.
Sophomore Mia Farrell led the way offensively for UChicago with 19 points and classmate Taylor Lake added 17 points, six boards and four assists in an all-around effort, draining a near-perfect 7-of-8 shots from the field. Junior post Olariche Obichipped in a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds and rookie Marissa Igunbor added 12 points in a reserve role.
It wasn't easy for the Maroons early. NYU opened the contest on a 10-0 run, capped by an Olivia Linebarger triple at the 7:55 mark of the first quarter. Obi finally stopped the momentum with a bucket in the paint and then added a three-point play the old-fashioned way a minute later to help get the Maroons' offense rolling. By the end of the frame, UChicago had nearly erased the deficit, trailing 24-21 after one quarter.
Back-to-back 3s by sophomore Miranda Burt early in the second quarter finally gave the Maroons their first lead of the game at 27-26, and UChicago took advantage of its chances at the free-throw line the remainder of the half, making 9-of-11 in the first 20 minutes. Farrell drained a 3 with 20 seconds left to push the host's lead to six, 41-34, at halftime.
The second half proved all Maroons. UChicago opened the third quarter on its own 10-0 run – with the aid of two Jamie Kockenmeister triples – to take a 51-34 lead at the 6:42 mark. Farrell drained another 3 to push that lead to 20, 57-37, and UChicago never looked back after that, building its largest lead at 28 with 2:25 left in the fourth quarter.
The Maroons benefited from nine makes from downtown (9-of-19, 47.4 percent) and held the Violets to just 3-of-15 (20 percent) from behind the arc. UChicago shot slightly better from the field (29-of-69, 42 percent) compared to 35.8 percent (24-of-67) for NYU, but the Violets won the battle on the boards, 48-41. UChicago committed just 11 turnovers and forced 22 from NYU, scoring 22 points off those giveaways.
Kockenmeister and senior Elizabeth Nye added seven points each for UChicago, with Nye dishing a team-high five assists in 24 minutes on the floor. Three players had three steals each in Obi, Farrell, and Nye.
Kayla Patterson netted 16 points and 11 boards and Linebarger added 12 points for NYU in the loss.