From University of Rochester Athletics
Some stifling defense by the University of Rochester men's basketball team held visiting Union College to a season low 58 points in UR's 77-58 win on Monday evening to close out the first semester of the 2016-17 season.
Rochester, ranked #7 in the latest D3Hoops.com poll released on Monday, moves to 10-0 for only the ninth time in the 116-year history of the program. The loss drops Union to 4-4 on the year.
Overall in the contest, the Dutchmen shot just 28% (17-60) from the field and ended up scoring over 20 points fewer than their season average of 81.0 points per game. Rochester meanwhile, shot 46% (29-63) from the floor and made 12 3-pointers in reaching the 75 point mark for the seventh time in 10 games.
The big run in the game came over a seven-minute span starting at the 15-minute mark of the first half. Rochester embarked on a 21-0 run, breaking open a 12-10 lead. Seven different players from UR scored in the run, led by Michael Mangan's six points, coming on two pull-up jumpers and a lay-up in the paint. Senior Mack Montague and sophomore Ryan Clamage both sank 3-pointers to finish off the run while Union went a combined 0-9 shooting and committed five turnovers in the stretch.
Rochester's lead got to as much as 26 in the first half, backed up by strong play inside from Zack Ayers and a trey from Jacob Wittig. Union closed the half with an 8-1 run to get the margin to 19 heading into the break; Rochester was up 45-26 at halftime.
In the second half, neither team could find their shooting touch early on, until the Yellowjackets made three straight 3-pointers to pull ahead by 29 with 13:08 to play. Clamage, Montague and Sam Borst-Smith each sank a long range shot in the spurt.
Four of UR's five starters eclipsed the 10-point plateau, led by Borst-Smith's 15 points. He also pulled down six rebounds. Ayers had a double-double, his first of the season, with 12 points and 10 rebounds, adding three blocks. Meanwhile, Tucker Knox chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds while Montague had 10 points. The fifth starter, Wittig, had 7 points, six assists and four rebounds.
Joining the party was Mangan who finished with eight points and three assists off the bench while Clamage's two 3-pointers let him finish with six points.
Union was paced by Deshon Burgess who had 12 points and 10 rebounds, but struggled with his shot, making just four of 15 attempts. Kevin Weckworth and Ben Lee each had 10 points, including two three's off the bench for the Dutchmen.
One of UR's oldest rivals, the Yellowjackets now hold a 59-36 advantage in the all-time series that has featured 95 total meetings dating back to the 1902-03 season. Monday's win gets a sour taste out of UR's mouth from the last meeting between the schools, coming a year ago to-the-day, when Burgess sank a half-court buzzer-beater in overtime to give the Dutchmen a 72-69 win in the Palestra.