Amanda Klug, Staff Photographer
Sunday, Feb. 17 marked Senior Day at the Palestra in Rochester, the final home game for three of the women’s basketball players. Seniors Amy Woods, Jackie Walker, and Kristyn Wright all ended their UR careers with a win, contributing to the team’s 72-68 win over Case Western Reserve University in a tightly contested UAA Conference matchup.
Although senior day at Rochester consists of off-court celebrations for the team’s oldest players, the trio of women’s basketball players also brought the festivities to the court, reigning in 35 of the ’Jackets total points. Leading the way was Walker, who put up 20 points, second only to Case’s Evy Iacono, who had a game high of 23. Woods scored 12 points of her own, as well as grabbing an impressive five offensive rebounds and dishing out three assists. Wright, starting in her fifth game of the season, also played a role in the victory, knocking down a three pointer during her 17 minutes. Despite the individual performances from UR’s seniors, the victory was a true team effort, with contributions coming from a number of players.
Perhaps the most telling statistic was bench points. While Case’s non-starters only scored 11 points, the ‘Jackets bench players stepped up, scoring 28, displaying the depth of Rochester’s squad. While the careers of the team’s seniors may have been the focus of the day, the ‘Jackets efforts off the bench were a clear reminder that the team will continue to be a force moving forward.
In addition to the all around contributions, Rochester’s resiliency also played a role in the game’s outcome. Case shot an impressive 50% from the field, hitting 30 shots on 60 attempts. Rarely does a team shooting at such a percentage fail to win, but with the ‘Jackets perseverance and smart play, including limiting their opponents to only two foul shots, the task was too tall an order for the visitors.
The Yellowjackets will conclude their regular season on Saturday, Feb. 23 when they travel to Atlanta, Ga. to take on Emory University. Though both teams currently hold an 11-2 conference record, the Eagles’ 21-3 overall record puts them slightly ahead of Rochester’s 19-5 mark.
The schedule beyond the encounter is unknown for either team, but it is certain that the ‘Jackets have their eyes set not only on a spot in the postseason, but for a major string of victories to cap off what has been a successful year thus far for Rochester.
Shapiro is a member of the class of 2016.
