From University of Rochester Athletics

The University of Rochester will play in the Sectional Finals (aka Elite 8) for the second time in three years after out-dueling Rochester Institute of Technology, 59-55, at LeFrak Gymnasium on the campus of Amherst College.

In the Sectional final, Rochester will play top-ranked and defending national champion Amherst College. The Mammoths ran their record to 30-0 with a victory over Montclair State University Friday night. Amherst has won 63 straight games over the last two seasons. The last loss for the NESCAC team came in the 2016 semifinal game to Thomas More College. 
 
Rochester (24-4) needed stellar play throughout its lineup to hold off RIT. The front line of Alexandra Leslie, Lauren Deming, and Lena Ethington combined for 44 points and 38 rebounds.
 
Leslie finished with 17 points and a career high-tying 21 rebounds – nine at the offensive end, 12 on the defensive glass. Deming scored 17 points – she hit her first six shots from the floor – and grabbed nine rebounds. Ethington produced 10 points and eight boards.
 
Jessica Glaz led RIT with 13 points. She grabbed seven rebounds. Tara Lynch had nine points and 11 rebounds. Amanda Olsen had eight points and 10 rebounds.
 
"That was a really intense game," said Rochester coach Jim Scheible. "With two teams from Rochester playing each other, there was a lot of pressure to get this one."
 
RIT reached this round by posting victories over the University of New England and The College of New Jersey (at TCNJ) last week. Point guard Cori Okada was the driving force that helped RIT rally from a 16-point deficit against TCNJ. The Tigers finished 23-7.
 
"We fought really hard to the end (of the game vs. UR)," said RIT coach Amy Reed. "I'm so proud of my team. They had an incredible season."
 
There were no sectional jitters from either side. With the score tied at 6-6, Glas sank a three-pointer from left wing to ignite a 10-3 run. That opened a 16-9 lead with 3:48 left in the first quarter. RIT led, 22-15 after one. "They ran all over us in the first quarter," Scheible said. "We didn't answer."
 
In between periods, he reminded the Yellowjackets of the basics. "We've got to clean the class," he said. "And we did a better job on ball screens."
 
UR listened. RIT had a 14-11rebounding edge in the first period. By the end of the game, Rochester held a 56-40 advantage.
 
RIT's shooting turned cold in the middle two periods. The Tigers hit 2-15 in the second quarter and 3-14 in the third period. Rochester hit 7-16 in the second quarter and opened a 30-26 lead at halftime. After three quarters, it was 45-38, but could have been larger. UR sank just 3 of 11 from the foul line in period three. Ethington scored a pair of baskets in the third. Her ability to hit the little runners in the paint paid dividends.
 
"Lena's a very athletic player," Reed said, "and a very good rebounder. She was very offensive-minded tonight and took the ball to the basket very well."
 
"We were a little more patient on offense in the second half," Glas said. "That helped us."
 
UR stretched its lead to 10, 45-35, on Leslie's conventional three-point play in the last 30 seconds of the third quarter. Abby Judd drained a three-pointer from the right corner just before the horn to keep it at seven, 45-38.
 
Rochester was ahead 49-40 early in the fourth, but a 7-3 run got RIT within 52-47 with six minutes to play. Deming hit a four footer in the lane and Leslie powered to the basket for the largest lead either way, 56-47, at the 3:24 mark.
 
RIT fought back. Glas sank a jumper and added a free throw, then Okada nailed a trey from the right of the key. When Brooke Stanley drove for a layup, UR's lead was down to 56-55, with 1:15 remaining.
 
Neither team scored again until Deming made two free throws with 17.4 seconds left. She made a big defensive play, slapping a rebound off an RIT player to give possession to Rochester. Leslie finally clinched it, making the second of two free throws for a 59-55 lead under four seconds.