No. 21 UChicago’s 29 Fourth Quarter Points Overpower Spartans
The University of Chicago women's basketball team used a dominant fourth quarter to pull away for an 84-77 victory over Case Western Reserve University on Friday night to secure another win to move to 15-5 on the season and 7-3 in UAA play.
The Spartans opened the game with an early 13-6 lead, but the Maroons didn't take long to find their offense. Within the final minutes of the first quarter, Bri Simpson hit a three to cut the deficit to two heading into the second.
In one of their highest-scoring first halves of the season, with both teams shooting over 40% from the field, the Maroons and the Spartans traded points back and forth in a neck-and-neck game, and at halftime, UChicago found themselves behind Case Western, trailing 41-35.
Entering the fourth, the Maroons trailed 57-55 and regained control early in the final period to overpower the Spartans. Caroline Workman tied the game at 57, converting on a tough layup to bring the offensive pace back with the Maroons. Less than a minute later, Chris Sanders drilled two three-pointers to give UChicago a 65-63 edge with seven minutes left and build the momentum for the Maroons.
Case Western began to try to find its way out of the deficit and forced UChicago to beat them at the foul line. Free throws proved decisive as Alexis Clark converted on a pair to push the Maroons' lead to six. Annabelle Spotts followed with three straight free throws of her own to force the margin to seven. Down the stretch, Sanders went a perfect 5-for-5 at the line in the final 30 seconds to seal the win.
The Maroons placed five players in double figures, led by Bri Simpson's 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting off the bench. Sanders added 18 points, while Clark and Spotts scored 13 apiece. Spotts also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, recording her first double-double of the season as UChicago held a 40-30 advantage on the glass.
The Maroons depth made the difference, with the bench outscoring the Spartans 32-3 in a game that featured eight lead changes before UChicago pulled away late.