WALTHAM, MA – The University of Rochester women’s basketball team staged a miraculous comeback, falling behind by 10 points in the final two minutes and stunning host Brandeis University 67-64 in a University Athletic Association conference match on Sunday afternoon at Red Auerbach Arena.
URochester’s win gave head coach Jim Scheible his 600th all-time win over 35 seasons as a Division III head coach. He becomes the 14th active Division III coach to reach this milestone, having spent 27 seasons on the River Campus, racking up 459 wins with the Yellowjackets alone.
Overall in the frenetic fourth quarter, the Yellowjackets (8-6, 1-2 UAA) outscored the Judges by 15 points, leading 30 to 15 in the final ten minutes. That included a 13-2 burst in the final 44 seconds, with UR scoring the final nine points of the game.
After a technical foul by URochester Brandeis (11-3, 1-2 UAA) gave up free throws and possession with 2:09 remaining, Abby Kennedy ultimately made 2-of-4 from the charity stripe, leaving the judges at 60-50.
The teams then traded empty possessions before the ‘Jackets began the comeback with a Melis Alparslan jersey. Alparslan then stole the inbounds and secured a layup for four quick points, cutting the lead to six with 1:17 to go.
Brandeis’ Katherine Vaughan made a layup to pad the judges’ score, but a quick bucket by Grace Corelli made the score 62-56 with 44 ticks remaining.
The judges were unable to get the ball in on their next possession, turning the ball back over the URochester, with Corelli again going to the basket for a layup, making the lead four points while running just four seconds off the clock.
A UR foul sent Vaughan to the free throw line, pushing the lead back to six with 31 seconds left.
The Yellowjackets followed by calling a timeout and moved the ball into the frontcourt, with Scheible making a big play to set up Corelli for a big 3-pointer. The sophomore powered through and made it a one-possession game.
Rochester made another mistake and this time had a pair of misses, giving the Yellowjackets a chance to possibly tie the game. Another timeout and excellent play produced another Corelli layup, cutting the lead to one.
Brandeis panicked on the next inbound play and signaled for a timeout, which he did not have, and was ultimately whistled for a technical foul. The tech gave Rochester two free throws and the ball, turning the game completely the other way.
Franki Gomez stepped to the line and sank both free throws to give the ‘Jackets a one-point lead, and with Rochester retaining possession, the judges were now forced to call a foul, sending Corelli to the free throw line for two. Corelli made both with 20 seconds left, putting the Yellowjackets ahead by three.
On its final possession, Brandeis couldn’t muster a single good look at a three-pointer, with the Yellowjacket defense only surrendering a desperate 30-foot heave from Sofia Berisha as time expired, the last-ditch attempt missing the rim and clattering off the backboard.
“I am so proud of our team and all the players, assistants and staff who have contributed here at Rochester,” Scheible said after achieving victory number 600. “This is their milestone too. We are all fortunate to represent this great university.”
On Sunday, the Yellowjackets got off to a strong start, leading 16-8 after a Claire Groenewoud three-pointer with less than 30 seconds left in the opening quarter. After ten minutes of play, URochester had a seven-point lead, a 16-11 lead.
Brandeis flipped the script in the second quarter thanks to some strong three-point shooting, outscoring Rochester 24-10 to take a 35-26 lead at intermission. In the second, the judges were 5-for-7 from distance, while also limiting the ‘Jackets to 4-for-13 shooting overall.
Rochester’s cold shooting continues into the third quarter, with Brandeis’ lead stretching to 16 points after a Vaughan tip-in with 3:20 to go. That meant a 12-5 limit to start the quarter, making the score 47-31 in favor of the home judges.
Hazell Nickerson had a layup on the next Yellowjacket possession and Rochester scored six of the final eight points of the third to make it a 12-point game heading into the final period.
In the fourth, Gomez hit a jump shot and Groenewoud hit an old-fashioned three-point play to quickly cut the lead to seven just over a minute later.
Brandeis was able to reset and push the lead back into double figures over the next few minutes before the Yellowjackets’ furious finish allowed the comeback to begin in the final 120 seconds.
Corelli ultimately led the Yellowjackets with 16 points on the day. Both Tia Poulakidas and Groenewoud finished with eleven points, while Gomez scored ten. Alparslan led the ‘Jacket bench with seven points and also contributed four steals.
Brandeis’ Abby Kennedy led all players with 26 games, while Vaughan finished with a double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing ten rebounds.
Then the Yellowjackets return home for a UAA double-header weekend this Friday and Sunday, hosting Carnegie Mellon University and Case Western Reserve University.
#Insane #finish #Rochesters #Scheible #600th #career #victory