CLEVELAND, Ohio – Senior forward Caitlin Henry (Fairfax, VA/Robinson) joined the 1,000-point club with a first half three-pointer, but the Case Western Reserve University women's basketball team dropped a tightly-contested 73-68 decision against No. 15/16 University of Rochester on Sunday, February 20 at Horsburgh Gymnasium. Junior forward Erin Hollinger (Chardon, OH/Chardon) was honored pre-game for reaching the 1,000 point-mark on Feb. 6 against Washington University (MO).

With the loss, the Spartans drop to 12-12 overall and 6-7 in University Athletic Association. Rochester improved to 19-5 overall (9-4 UAA) with the win and handed Case its seventh setback this year against a nationally-ranked opponent.

Henry nailed a three-pointer with 6:04 to go in the first half to join her teammate and reach the 1,000 point-club, becoming just the 11th woman in program history to reach the plateau. For the afternoon, the Spartans were led by sophomore guard Evy Iacono's (Cincinnati, OH/Mount Notre Dame) 20-point performance. Henry poured in an additional 16-points and Hollinger added 15 to pace the Case offense.

Jodie Luther tallied 20 to tie Iacono for the game-high and led the Rochester attack, while Madeline Korber contributed 18-points and seven rebounds. Jackie Walker also pulled down a game-high 10 boards for the Yellowjackets.

The game was won on the inside, as Rochester outscored Case 38-16 in the paint and 16-8 on second chance opportunities. Nevertheless, the lead changed hands eight different times and Case was within one point with just 2:07 to go in regulation.

In the opening half, Rochester got on the board first with a Walker jumper just 23 seconds into the game, but Hollinger nailed a triple to give Case a 3-2 lead on the next possession. The Spartans pushed the lead to four, 6-2, as Henry knocked down another three with 16:56 on the clock. Rochester answered, however, and reclaimed the lead, 11-10, at the 12:39 mark on a jumper by Amy Woods and stretched it all the way to 14 over the next 5:48. Hollinger managed to stop the Yellowjacket run at the 6:35 mark with a layup, and helped Case chip away the lead back to six, 35-29, heading into the locker room.

The Spartans immediately narrowed the deficit to three, 36-33, out of the half on a triple by sophomore guard/forward Marissa Miles (McDonald, PA/Fort Cherry) and continued to cut the lead throughout the first six minutes. Hollinger then gave Case its first lead, 49-48, since early in the first half with a pair of free throws at the 13:42 mark. The Yellowjackets jumped back out in front, but things went mostly back-and-forth until the Spartans built their largest lead of the game, 58-53, with 7:53 to play on lay-in by Henry. Luther then tied the game for the third time and put Rochester back on top, 61-60, with two free throws at the 6:22 mark.

Iacono knocked down a jumper on the next trip down the floor, spotting the Spartans a 62-61 lead with 5:58 to go, but it would be their last of the afternoon. Two minutes later, UR's Melissa Alwardt hit back-to-back three-pointers within 22 seconds of each other to give the Yellowjackets a five point advantage.

Henry would connect on two freebies to pull Case back within one, 69-68, with 2:07 remaining in regulation, but after misses for each team on the next two possessions, Alwardt hit on two free throws to put the Yellowjackets up by three, 71-68, with 54 seconds on the clock. Two missed shots on the next two trips down the court for Case sealed the win for Rochester, as the Yellowjackets closed the game out with two more free throws.  

The Spartans will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 26 to conclude the regular season against Carnegie Mellon University (PA) at Horsburgh Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. and the team will honor Henry, its lone senior, as part of Senior Day festivities.