ROCHESTER, N.Y. (taken from a UR press release) -- The Brandeis
men's basketball team rallied to pull within one point with 97
seconds left in regulation, but the host University of Rochester
scored the final eight points to pull away for the 71-62
victory.
With the Yellowjackets nursing a 63-62 lead, Jon Onyiriuka made two
free throws and Jeff Juron made one. Juron missed his second
chance, but Uche Ndubizu rebounded with 59 seconds left and got the
ball to Juron who was fouled again. He sank two shots.
After Brandeis missed, Will Thorne fed Onyiriuka for a breakaway
thre-point play, driving for a layup, then adding a free throw.
Juron finished with a season’s high 19 points. Onyiriuka had
15 points and 12 rebounds, his sixth double-double this year. Joe
Canty scored 11 points for Rochester (6-4 University Athletic
Association, 15-6).
Steve DeLuca scored 16 points for the Judges (5-5 UAA, 12-9), 14
coming in the second half. Rocco Toppi had 15 points, including
three three-point goals.
Rochester moved within a game of first place in the UAA with the
victory. NYU and Carnegie are tied for the UAA lead at 7-3. NYU
comes to the Palestra on Sunday.
The Yellowjackets hit 67% from the floor in the first half and
built a 35-21 lead at the break. It grew to 17 on a three-pointer
by Joe Canty two minutes into the second half (40-23). Rochester
still led by 11, 45-34, after two free throws by Eric Snider.
Brandeis went on an 11-0 run over 3:15 to tie the score at 45-45 on
a jumper in the lane by Toppi. He was fouled by Uche Ndubizu on the
play and might have given the Judges a lead. His free throw was
wiped out when a teammate stepped into the lane on the shot.
Ndubizu quickly atoned at the other end, making a layup. Michael
Chmielowiec and Max Kaplan hit three point goals, stretching the
edge to 53-46 with 8:03 left before Brandeis charged again.
Chmielowiec’s second three-pointer of the game put Rochester
ahead, 63-57, with 2:34 left. Toppi sank two free throws and DeLuca
drained a three, cutting the edge to 63-62, with 1:37 remaining.
Juron and Onyiriuka took over in the closing minutes.