A furious second-half rally by the Emory women's basketball fell short Sunday afternoon as the University of Chicago held off the Eagles in a game played at the Ratner Center on the UC campus. Emory saw its overall record slip to 10-4, 1-2 in the University Athletic Association, following a 60-56 setback to the No. 17 Maroons who improved to 11-3 in overall play, 2-1 in the conference.
After seeing an 11-point halftime deficit increase to 15 points at 37-22 early in the third quarter, the Eagles closed out the frame with a stirring 20-5 blitz that tied the score at 42-42 heading into the final 10 minutes. Junior Erin Lindahl registered eight of her game-high 18 points (tying her season high) during that run, which included a pair of three-point field goals, while senior Ashley Oldshue totaled four points. Emory used a three-point play by junior Allison Chernow early in the fourth quarter to take a 45-44 advantage. After a bucket by UC's Mia Farrell, sophomore Molly Weiss put Emory ahead again, 48-47, with 5:43 on the clock when she knocked down a triple. A bucket by Oldshue with 3:49 left boosted the Eagles to a 50-47 lead, but the Eagles went scoreless over the next 3:30 while the Maroons scored nine unanswered points to move ahead by a 56-50 count. Chernow kept the Eagles' hopes alive with 19 seconds remaining when she sliced the gap in half after converting a three-point play. After a pair of Chicago free throws, Lindahl countered with her season-high fourth three-pointer of the game with six ticks on the clock, but Chicago sealed the outcome following a pair of makes from the stripe by Miranda Burt with five seconds remaining.
Lindahl, who chalked up her seventh double-digit scoring performance of the year, closed out the afternoon hitting seven-of-13 field goal attempts. Oldshue chipped in 13 points, connecting on six-of-nine from the floor, while Chernow rounded out the team's double-figure scorers with 11 points. Sophomore Blair Ripley paced the team in rebounding for the fifth time this season with 11 caroms, her third outing of double digits in that category this year.
The Eagles shot 41.5 percent (22-of-53) from the floor vs. Chicago's 39.2 percent (20-of-51). Emory was successful on 51.9 percent (14-of-27) of its field goal attempts over the final two quarters and hit five treys. For the game, Emory went six-of-19 from downtown while the Maroons sank four of its seven tries. UC held a distinct edge at the foul line, going 16-of-21 to Emory's six-of-11.
Emory returns to action next Friday (Jan. 18) when it hosts Case Western Reserve in a 6:00 pm start.