December 9, 2006

Chicago Defeats Johns Hopkins 76-66; Improves to 6-0

CHICAGO -- Sophomore Alex Leach (Gurnee, Ill./ Warren) scored a career-high 21 points, including four three-point field goals, as the 20th-ranked University of Chicago women's basketball team defeated Johns Hopkins University 76-66 Saturday at the Ratner Athletics Center.

Chicago (6-0) trailed for most of the first half before Leach converted a three-point play in the final minute to give the Maroons a 36-34 edge. Jessica Rice's basket for Johns Hopkins (5-3) with 18 seconds left in the opening period evened the score at 36-36 at the intermission.

A four-point play by Leach with 14:53 remaining in the game put the Maroons on top 49-43 -- their largest lead of the game to that point.

The Bluejays rallied to tie the game at 49-49 on a Kristin Phillips layup at the 13:05 mark, but Chicago then went on a 10-0 run to go ahead 59-49 with 10:41 left.

Freshman Jill DiNucci's (Glenshaw, Pa./ Shaler Area) jumper at the 8:10 mark gave Chicago its largest lead of the day, 65-52.

Two Andrea Dodrill layups 39 seconds apart cut the Chicago lead to four points, 68-64, with 2:17 to go, but the Maroons outscored Johns Hopkins 8-2 the rest of the way.

Senior Korry Schwanz (Menominee, Mich./ Menominee) was 4-for-4 from the foul line during the game's final 35 seconds. She connected on all eight of her free throw attempts on the afternoon en route to a 15-point performance.

Junior Nofi Mojidi (Silver Spring, Md./ Bullis School) finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals as the Maroons won their 21st consecutive non-conference affair.

Whitney Davis paced the Bluejays with 14 points, while Dodrill and Julie Miller each collected 13. Miller also grabbed 12 rebounds to share game-high honors with Chicago junior Nicaya Rapier (Munster, Ind./ Bishop Noll).

Box Score