A strong first quarter propelled the University of Rochester women's basketball team to its fifth straight victory on Friday night, defeating the visiting University of Chicago 73-60 at the Louis Alexander Palestra.
 
Rochester moves to 10-3 on the season and is now 2-0 in the University Athletic Association. Chicago falls to 7-5 overall and is 0-2 in the UAA.
 
Four players finished in double-figure scoring for Rochester, led by Julianna Okoniewski who had 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Hannah Lindemuth scored 13 points for UR, while Alexis Sestric and Haley Dumiak each added 10 points. Dumiak had seven rebounds as well, while Abby Gress was the leader on the glass for Rochester with 14 boards.
 

Charlotte Adler added nine points for UR with Maura Leverone chipping in eight points and five rebounds.
 
UR started out the game on fire, outscoring the Maroons 24-7 over the opening ten minutes. The Yellowjackets shot 8-of-12 (66.6%) from the field and sank both of their 3-pointers in the quarter. That compared to Chicago's 3-of-21 (14.3%) performance in the first, leading to the 17-point margin.
 
Chicago ended up outscoring Rochester by four points over the final three quarters, but the Yellowjackets never allowed the Maroons to trim the margin to less than eight points, holding a double-digit lead for most of the game.
 
With Rochester leading 7-6 four minutes into the game, the Yellowjackets embarked on a 17-1 run to grab close the quarter. During the six minute spurt, Callie McCulley and Dumiak each scored four points as with five others scoring for the Yellowjackets. Chicago was held without a field goal in the stretch, going 0-for-9 from the floor.
 
The lead ballooned to 21 points after Dumiak and Sestric started the second quarter with back-to-back baskets for Rochester, but Chicago scored 12 of the next 14 to get back within 11 points. Ashley Gao started the Maroon charge with three straight baskets.
 
In the second, UC's shooting woes transitioned to the Yellowjackets, as Rochester made just four field goals and committed six turnovers in the quarter.
 
Halftime saw the Yellowjackets head to the locker room up 33-21.
 
Late in the third quarter, Grace Hynes scored three straight layups for the Maroons to get Chicago within ten points, but Lindemuth sank a big 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the period to grab momentum back for the Yellowjackets.
 
Hynes finished with 12 points, leading the Maroons. Klaire Steffens recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Ellie Gross added 11 points off the bench for Chicago.
 
Rochester was up 14 points with under four minutes to play, but a feisty Chicago squad rattled of a 7-1 run to get within eight with 1:46 left and apply some pressure to Rochester.
 
The Yellowjackets were up to challenge down the stretch though, sinking eight straight free throws in the final 80 seconds to seal the victory.
Rochester finished the fourth quarter 13-of-14 from the charity stripe and were 23-of-27 (85.2%) for the game.
 
UR returns to the Palestra floor on Sunday afternoon for another conference matchup with Washington-St. Louis. Tip time is set for 1 pm following the morning men's contest.