Chicago added to its streak of recent successes this past weekend and will hope to do the same in its upcoming road trip.
On Friday, the Maroons (8–6, 2–1) stung the Rochester Yellowjackets (9–5, 1–2) on Neon Night to go above .500 for the first time this year. But their weekend didn’t end there. They added an additional victory to their record. Just two nights later, Chicago downed the Emory Eagles (8–6, 0–3) to tally its second consecutive conference win. With the pair of victories, the South Siders ended a six-game home stand with five wins to just one loss.
In the Rochester game, both teams started out relatively even. After the first 13 minutes of play, only two points separated the competitors. But from there on out, the Maroons took decisive control of the game. Before the end of the half, Chicago extended its lead to a 41–28 advantage.
The second half featured much of the same, with Chicago building on its already comfortable lead. The game finished with a 78–51 Chicago win. Rebounding proved to make the difference in the game. Chicago pulled down an impressive 51 rebounds, 17 of which were on the offensive glass. These were translated to 23 second-chance points. Second-year forward Britta Nordstrom contributed significantly with 16 points, making her the Maroons’ high scorer. The Yellowjackets couldn’t recover.
Against Emory, the Maroons spent little time proving their skill. Fourth-year forward Ellie Greiner kicked off a dominant start by knocking down a corner three. For the next eight minutes of regulation, the Maroons worked to take a 16–2 advantage.
However, despite an 11-point halftime lead, the Maroons had to withstand a furious Eagle comeback. Emory third-year Khadijah Sayyid poured in 19 of her 23 points in the second half. With eight minutes left before the end of regulation, her third three of the night brought Emory to within just three points of its opponent. However, her efforts fell short. Chicago’s savvy play gave it the 70–57 win.
The South Siders’ next two games will be on the road. Today, they will travel to Boston to take on Brandeis (9–5, 1–2). While the Maroons will come into the game having won seven of their last nine matches, the Judges will arrive having lost three of their last four competitions. However, Brandeis’s recent record may be deceptive. Each loss has come in closely contested games.
Two nights later, the Maroons will take on what may be their toughest opponent yet, New York University (14–0, 3–0). The No. 9 Violets present Chicago with another opportunity to prove itself among the conference elite. Two weeks prior, the Maroons let such an opportunity slip against undefeated No. 4 Wash U. However, this time around, they will be looking to reverse their fortunes.
The Brandeis game tips off at 6 p.m. tonight. The NYU match will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Chicago will be away for both games.
