CHICAGO, Ill. – The University of Chicago women's basketball team used a fast start and 30 points from the bench to earn a 79-68 Parents Day victory over Case Western Reserve University on Sunday.

The Maroons ran their record to 15-9 overall and 9-4 in league play to take sole possession of second place in the UAA. The Spartans fell to 9-15 on the year and 3-10 in the UAA to remain in a tie for seventh place. Prior to the start of the game, the parents of UChicago women's basketball players were recognized and given flowers by the team as part of Parents Day.

The Maroons began with a 13-4 run in the first four minutes of the game behind four points each by freshman forward Britta Nordstrom and junior guard Claire Devaney. Case battled back and tied the game at 17 and then took the lead with 8:43 left on the first of back-to-back baskets by sophomore forward Laura Mummey. The Maroons took 13 three-point attempts against Case's zone defense in the first 20 minutes, but only converted on three of them.

The lead would see-saw from there until consecutive baskets by freshman guard Stephanie Anderson would build the Maroons lead to multiple possessions at 30-25 with four minutes left in the opening act. UChicago pushed the lead to 40-33 advantage at halftime despite coughing up the ball nine times. Devaney led the team with 10 points at the break.

The second half started in much the same way the first half ended with neither team able to put together a run. Sophomore guard Caitlin Moore's basket with 13:23 left gave the Maroons a 50-41 lead. Case junior guard Brooke Orcutt reduced the lead to five points with a free throw at 8:21 left on the clock. But sophomore guard Paige Womack responded with a three to bump the lead back to eight at 60-52.

Womack's transition layup with 6:20 left gave UChicago its first double digit lead of the game. A three-pointer by Case freshman guard Jessica McCoy got lead down to eight. However, Case would get no closer than that as a jumper by senior guard Julie Muguira and a three by senior guard Maggie Ely staked UChicago to a 13-point advantage with 3:09 remaining.

McCoy hit a three for Case, and UChicago got those points back with a layup and one from Nordstrom. Free throws by Ely and Devaney down the stretch would ice the Maroon victory.

UChicago outscored the Spartans 30-2 in bench points. Laura Mummey played all 40 minutes of the game for Case and scored 24 points. Both teams finished with 18 turnovers a piece while the home team won the rebounding battle 42-37. Four Maroons reached double digits in points.

UChicago Team Stats & Leaders
Field-goal Percentage – 42.6 percent (26-61)
Three-point Percentage – 29.2 percent (7-24)
Free-throw Percentage – 87.0 percent (20-23)
Maggie Ely (Guard, Sr.) – 16 points, 5 rebounds
Claire Devaney (Guard, Jr.) – 14 points, 6 rebounds
Caitlin Moore (Guard, So.) – 12 points
Britta Nordstrom (Forward, Fr.) – 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists

Case Team Stats & Leaders
Field-goal Percentage – 40.6 percent (28-69)
Three-point Percentage – 22.2 percent (2-9)
Free-throw Percentage – 76.9 percent (10-13)
Laura Mummey – 24 points, 6 rebounds
Julie Mooney – 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals
Brooke Orcutt – 13 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists

NEXT GAME:

• Saturday, Mar. 1 – Washington University-St. Louis at UChicago, 1 PM