Box Score The Emory women's basketball team captured its first-ever University Athletic Association Championship on Saturday when it came away with a victory over the University of Rochester. With the victory, the Eagles earn the UAA's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament that starts next week. Emory, ranked 16th nationally, raised its overall record to 22-3 and closed out the league portion of the schedule with a 12-2 ledger following a 65-57 decision over the Yellowjackets who slipped to 19-6 overall, 11-3 in the league. Emory's 22 wins establish a school record for most victories in a season. The Eagles appearance in the NCAA Tournament will be the program's first postseason berth since 1997.
Junior Savannah Morgan came up with one her biggest offensive performances of the season for Emory, leading all scorers with 20 points, her second-highest offensive total of the year. Morgan knocked down nine-of-14 from the floor including two of three from beyond the arc in notching her 15th double-figure scoring performance of the season. Junior Danielle Landry chipped in 18 points, her second most productive effort of the year, while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.
Emory needed to hold off a determined Rochester rally that saw it battle back from a 16-point deficit with 16:12 left in the game to within two points on two occasions, the final time coming with 1:55 left when it trailed by a 59-57 count. The Yellowjackets had a chance to tie or go ahead but misfired on its attempt, leading to a clutch three-pointer by Morgan with 45 ticks on the clock. Landry then marched to the foul line to sink two of her 10 free throws during the game to push the Eagles to a 64-57 advantage with 25 seconds left. After a Rochester miss from the three-point range, Landry grabbed a Yellowjacket miss and was fouled. Her charity toss with 13 seconds left closed out the game's scoring.
Behind Morgan's 11 points and seven points from Hannah Lilly, the Eagles took a 38-28 lead into halftime. The Eagles connected on 45.7 percent of their field goal tries during the opening 20 minutes compared to UR's effort of 42.9 percent (9-of-21). Emory's ball hawking defense forced 13 Yellowjacket turnovers during the opening stanza that it parlayed into 15 points. After a bucket by Rochester's Loren Wagner cut an Emory to two points with 12:21 left in the stanza, the Eagles responded with a 16-6 blitz that gave them their biggest of the half, 28-16, with 4:42 left on the clock. Five different players scored for Emory in that stretch including senior Misha Jackson with four points while Morgan and Lilly each knocked down three pointers. Rochester drew to within six points with 1:47 on the clock, but a couple of buckets by Morgan, including one at the buzzer, gave Emory its double-figure lead at the break.
Rochester cut its halftime gap to seven points early in the second half following a triple by Ally Zywicki. Emory then rattled off a 10-1 barrage, with Landry and Morgan each scoring four points in that run, to bolt to what would be its largest lead of the game, 50-34, with 16:12 on the clock. The Eagles still held an 11-point cushion with 11:17 remaining following a bucket by Morgan, but seven unanswered points by Rochester reduced its deficit to 53-49 with 7:20 on the clock. After Landry layup, the Yellowjacket scored two straight baskets, drawing to within two points with 5:06 left.
Emory will find out who it will be playing and where in the NCAA Tournament on Monday (Feb. 25) at 2:30 pm. The NCAA D-III Selection Show can be seen on NCAA.com
