The University of Rochester’s women’s basketball team won a Valentine’s Day victory this past Feb. 14 at the Palestra; the Yellowjackets defeated the Brandeis University Judges 70-52 through four quarters of play.
UR led from the get-go Friday as they burst forth with a 10-0 run in the first three and a half minutes; UR graduate student Abby Gress (#13) opened the floodgates with one layup and a free throw. UR scored three more buckets, culminating in sophomore Tia Poulakidas’ (#23) tip-in to make it a 10-0 game. Junior Katherine Vaughan (#40) scored the first two points for Brandeis on the following possession. UR dominated the rest of the quarter, ending it with Gress’ layup with 26 seconds left. The buzzer sounded with UR up 18 to 4.
Brandeis sophomore Clare Candela (#5) converted a three-pointer on the first possession of the second quarter to make it an 11-point game. Brandeis battled back for most of the second quarter, getting the lead down to six, before a free throw from Poulakidas and baskets from senior Franki Gomez (#3) and first year Annelise Dexter (#21) pushed the lead back up to 11 at the half.
The Yellowjackets opened the second half on a 7-0 run before Brandeis sank two free throws. Unfortunately for the Judges, the damage was done. UR effectively squashed any momentum that Brandeis built, stopping the Judges’ 6-0 run with one of their own to lead by twenty. Vaughan made two free throws to make the lead 18 going into the fourth.
The fourth was a back-and-forth affair, as UR was content to tread water with such a lead. Brandeis got the lead down to 12 at one point with four minutes to go, but UR stopped any serious attempt at a comeback with two layups by Gress. Brandeis scored once more with two minutes to go as graduate student Erin Lillis (#34) and senior Raquel Williams (#14) scored the final four for UR.
UR led Brandeis in nearly every category in their victory, with Gress leading UR with 24 points and 12 assists.
