The Emory women's basketball team captured its first-ever University Athletic Association Championship (UAA) on Feb. 23 when it came away with a victory over the University of Rochester. With the victory, the Eagles earn the UAA's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament that starts next week. Emory, ranked 16th nationally, raised its overall record to 22-3 and closed out the league portion of the schedule with a 12-2 ledger following a 65-57 decision over the YellowJackets who slipped to 19-6 overall, 11-3 in the league. Emory's 22 wins establish a school record for most victories in a season. The Eagles' appearance in the NCAA Tournament will be the program's first postseason berth since 1997.
Junior Savannah Morgan came up with one of her biggest offensive performances of the season for Emory, leading all scorers with 20 points, her second-highest offensive total of the year. Morgan knocked down nine-of-14 from the floor including two of three from beyond the arc in notching her 15th double-figure scoring performance of the season. Junior Danielle Landry chipped in 18 points, her second most productive effort of the year, while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.
The Eagles connected on 45.7 percent of their field goal tries during the opening 20 minutes compared to Rochester's effort of 42.9 percent (9-of-21). Emory's ball hawking defense forced 13 YellowJacket turnovers during the opening stanza that it parlayed into 15 points. Rochester drew to within six points with 1:47 on the clock, but a couple of buckets by Morgan, including one at the buzzer, gave Emory its double-figure lead at the break.
Men's team earns UAA co-championship
The men's basketball team also came away with a win in a suffocating defensive performance Saturday afternoon in its victory over No. 13 Rochester, 72-54. The win enabled Emory to share for the UAA championship with Rochester and Washington University, the first time since 1990 that an Eagle team had captured a conference crown. Emory now stands 19-6 overall and finished the league portion of its schedule with a 10-4 mark while Rochester slipped to 21-4 overall.
Emory ended the game shooting 45.6 percent (26-of-57) from floor and held Rochester to 32.1 percent (17-of-53). The Eagles' defensive presence held the YellowJackets to 20 points less than their season average and far under the 47.5 percent field goal percentage showing they had entering the game.
Included in senior Alex Greven's offensive totals were three three-point field goals, running his streak to 39 games of at least one trey. Sophomore Michael Florin turned in a solid effort at both ends of the floor, picking up 11 points, dishing out 10 assists, his second effort of double figures in that category this season, and recording a season-high tying four steals. Rounding out the team's double-figure scorers was junior McPherson Moore with 11 points. Michael Friedberg led the team's rebounding effort for the seventh straight contest with a game-high tying 10 rebounds, his fifth contest this season of double figures in that category.
Prior to the game, Senior Day ceremonies were conducted recognizing the contributions of Ollie Carleton, Nash Oh, Michael Friedberg and Greven.
The women's team will face off against Whitworth University (21-6) in round one of the NCAA DIII Tourney March 1 on their home court, the Woodruff P.E. Center.
The men's team will take on Randolph (21-6) in round one on March 2 at the Woodruff P.E. Center.