The No. 21/25 ranked Emory University women's basketball team saw its nine-game winning streak snapped Friday night, falling 80-71 to No. 15/23 University of Chicago in a battle of the top two teams in University Athletic Association at the Ratner Athletic Center in Chicago, IL. With the result, both teams move to 14-3 overall on the season and 5-1 in Association play.
Seniors Allison Chernow and Erin Lindahl paced the Eagles, combining for 30 of the team's points. Chernow had a team-high 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting while Lindahl sank a season-high four from distance, finishing with 14 points. Both players collected a team-high seven rebounds. Junior Blair Ripley added a double-figure scoring effort, posting 10 points with four rebounds and two blocks off the bench.
For Chicago, all five starters were in double figures with forward Klaire Steffens leading the way with 17 points. Mia Farrell, Taylor Lake and Grace Hynes all contributed 13 points a piece as the Maroons recorded the highest point total allowed by the Eagles all season.
The opening half was a track meet with both teams scoring seemingly every time up the court and UC going into the halftime break up five, 45-40. Both teams were shooting above a 50-percent clip with Chicago going 18-for-30 in the opening 20 minutes and Emory going 14-for-28 including seven converted from three-point land.
The Eagles continued their hot shooting in the third quarter, sinking 9-of-12 from the floor but were unable to erase the deficit, cutting it as close as one point on five different occasions.
In the fourth quarter, Chicago led 71-64 before a 5-0 spurt by Lindahl and Ripley cut it to a two-point game. A counter three by Miranda Burt made it 74-69 before another Ripley layup drew Emory within three with 3:40 remaining. However, the Eagles were held scoreless for the remainder of the contest as the team fell by the final nine-point margin.
Chicago finished 26-for-54 (48.1%) from the floor whereas the Eagles went 27-for-56 (48.2%) and 8-for-23 from long range.
Emory tries to bounce back Sunday afternoon as the Eagles take on WashU in St. Louis with a 3:00 PM EST tip. The Bears earned their second UAA win Friday evening, downing Rochester, 79-67, at home.