CHICAGO -- Junior guard Alex Leach (Gurnee, Ill./ Warren) led five Maroons in double figures with a game-high 19 points as the 23rd-ranked University of Chicago women's basketball team defeated University Athletic Association rival New York University 84-64 Friday at the Ratner Athletics Center.

The victory keeps Chicago (18-5 overall, 9-3 UAA) in a tie for first place in the UAA with two league games remaining. The University of Rochester and Washington (Mo.) University also stand at 9-3 in UAA play as a result of wins Friday evening.

Chicago led 21-11 midway through the first half, but NYU (14-9, 3-9) rallied to even the score at 29-29 at the 2:27 mark.

Senior guard Lori Tanaka (Chicago, Ill./ Lane Tech) then hit a pair of three-point baskets and a free throw in the final 1:32 to give the Maroons a 36-29 edge at the break. Tanaka finished the game with 10 points in 11 minutes off the bench.

A basket by freshman forward Karly Kasper (Palos Park, Ill./ Stagg) with 10:26 left in the game gave the Maroons their largest lead to that point, 58-44.

NYU then went on an 11-2 run to trim the Chicago lead to 60-55 at the 8:02 mark.

Senior guard Nofi Mojidi's (Silver Spring, Md./ Bullis School) jumper gave the Maroons a 68-58 advantage with 5:55 to play. Chicago maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way. Mojidi finished with 16 points.

Sophomore forward Molly Hackney (East Lansing, Mich./ Lansing Catholic) collected 17 points, five assists, and three blocks as the Maroons won their fifth straight game overall and improved to 10-1 at home. Sophomore forward Anna Woods (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./ Lower Merion) added 13 points.

Chicago shot 52% from the field in each half, including a 6-for-8 effort from three-point range in the first period.

The Maroons held NYU's Jessica McEntee, who entered the game as the UAA's leading scorer (21.5) and rebounder (11.5), to 14 points and eight boards.

Grace Carmen and Chelsea Blake contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively, for the Violets.

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