From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
Case Western Reserve University won its eighth-straight game, the second-longest streak in program history, defeating Emory University 71-57 in a University Athletic Association matchup on Friday evening in Atlanta, Georgia.
The win raised the Spartans' overall record to 12-3, as the team improved to 4-0 in UAA games. CWRU is tied for first place in the conference with Washington University (Mo.), and it marks just the second time in program history the team has won its first four UAA games. The eight-game winning streak is just one shy of the program record for consecutive wins, set by the 2009-10 team.
Emory dropped to 10-5 with the loss, including a 1-3 UAA record.
Senior guard/ forward Hillary Hellmann led all scorers on Friday night with 19 points, shooting nine-of-13 overall and one-of-three from behind the three-point line. Graduate student forward Kara Hageman collected her third-straight double-double and her sixth of the season, finishing the game with 17 points, 10 rebounds and a team-best three assists. Sophomore forward Emma Cain added 11 points on a five-of-seven shooting effort for the Spartans on Friday.
As a team, Case Western Reserve attacked the interior in the game, outscoring the Eagles 32-20 in the paint. CWRU shot 45.5% overall (25-of-55) in the contest, while the defense limited Emory to just 30.6% shooting overall and just three-of-21 (14.3%) from behind the three-point line.
A strong start was key for the Spartans on Friday, as the team grabbed a lead in the opening minutes that it would not relinquish for the remainder of the night. With the game tied at 4-4 at the 7:21 mark of the opening quarter, junior guard Alicia Marie Gonzalesstarted a 11-0 run by the Spartans with a three-pointer, with CWRU grabbing a 15-4 lead by the halfway mark of the period. A 9-0 run later in the quarter, capped off by a layup by Hellmann (her 10th point of the period) gave the Spartans a 24-8 lead, and CWRU would close out the first quarter with a 24-11 advantage. The Eagles would trim the lead down to nine, 28-19, with 3:13 to go in the half, before a quick 6-0 run pushed the Spartans' advantage back to 15 points, 34-19, with 56 seconds remaining. CWRU would close out the opening 20 minutes of play with a 36-23 lead over the Eagles.
Hellmann led CWRU with 12 opening half points, and Hageman added eight points and five rebounds over the first two quarters.
Hellmann helped the Spartans maintain a double-figure lead for the entire third quarter, pouring in seven more points in the frame, including a layup with 2:32 to go that pushed the team's lead to 17, 52-35, with 2:23 to play in the third. CWRU would end the period with a 13-point lead with freshman guard Abbey Lawrence closing out the period with a jumper for the Spartans to push the advantage to 56-43.
The Eagles opened the fourth quarter on an 8-2 run, cutting the Spartans' lead down to six points with 5:57 to play, and Hellmann picked up her fourth foul of the game with over six minutes left in the game. Hageman stopped the run with a layup with 5:28 left in the game, putting CWRU back ahead 60-52, and a jumper by Lawrence, followed by a pair of free throws for Gonzales, helped the Spartans build their lead back to 10 points, 64-54, with under two minutes left. Hageman, Lawrence and freshman guard Alyssa Hyland would all knock down free throws in the closing minute of the game to lock up the victory for the Spartans.
Four Emory players scored in double figures, led by Ashley Oldshue, who finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.