Box Score Seniors Savannah Morgan and Hannah Lilly combined for 41 points in leading the No. 16-ranked Emory women's basketball team to a victory over the University of Chicago Friday evening at the Woodruff PE Center. The Eagles raised their overall record to 15-2, 4-2 in the University Athletic Association, following an 86-78 decision over the Maroons who slipped to 9-8 overall, 3-3 in the conference.
Morgan tied for game scoring honors with 22 points, hitting nine-of-19 from the field along with all three of her free throw opportunities. It represented the sixth time this season that she topped the team's scoring effort and was her fifth performance of 20 or more points. Lilly finished the evening with 19 points, tying her second-highest output of the year, knocking down eight-of-15 from the floor, including a pair of three-point field goals in five attempts. Freshman Fran Sweeney came off the bench to notch a season-high 11 points in 24 minutes of action while senior Selena Castillo rounded out the squad's double-digit scorers with 10 points while adding four assists and a career-high tying seven steals that tied the program's fourth-highest individual game total.
While Chicago outshot Emory from the floor, sinking 53.6 percent (30-of-56) of its opportunities to the Eagles' 45.8 percent (33-of-72), and registered a 37-31 edge in rebounding, it was hampered 26 turnovers that Emory generated into 23 points. The Eagles came up with 16 steals, their 11th straight and 16 contest with double-figures in that category this year.
With Morgan and Lilly each scoring 15 points, the Eagles bolted to a 50-33 halftime lead. Morgan scored seven points during a 13-4 burst over a four-minute stretch that gave Emory a 38-27 edge with 5:13 left in the opening stanza. After a three-point by the Maroons' Ellie Greiner, Emory closed out the final 4:40 of the half on a 12-3 run that stretched an eight-point lead to 17. Lilly scored eight points in that stretch while Morgan and Sweeney each added baskets. Emory hit 51.2 percent from the field (22-of-43) and drained five triples in 10 tries in the first half.
Chicago stayed in the game in the second half by hitting 16-of-27 from the floor including five-of-12 from beyond the arc. After sophomore Khadijah Sayyid hit a jumper that put the Eagles ahead by a 58-43 count, UC methodically kept within striking distance and eventually drew to within four points, following an 9-0 stretch that was capped by a three-point play by Claire Devaney, with just 2:46 remaining. A foul shot by senior Gabi Whitmer followed by a jumper by Morgan pushed Emory to a 75-68 lead, but UC fought back to within four points with 1:17 on the clock after a pair of charity tosses by Maggie Ely. Morgan then accounted for the game's next five points, starting with a three-point play and followed by two free throws, that extended the Eagles' advantage to nine points with 50 ticks on the clock. Emory was able to hold on over the remainder of the game en route to posting its 16th consecutive home win.
Emory returns to action on Sunday (Feb. 2) when it plays host to No. 2-ranked Washington University.
