From University of Rochester Athletics
Rochester put the perfect ending to an abbreviated women's basketball season by rallying in the fourth quarter for a 65-63 victory over Nazareth College in Kidera Gymnasium on Thursday night.
The Yellowjackets finished with a 5-1 record, winning three games in the space of five days: a victory over Clarkson University on Sunday, a 57-45 win over St. John Fisher on Wednesday evening, and tonight's victory over Nazareth. The Clarkson and Fisher games were played at the Blue Cross Arena. Nazareth is 2-2 with an Empire 8 basketball schedule waiting in the coming days.
UR faced a stiff challenge. Nazareth ran off a 20-1 point explosion straddling the second and third quarters. When it ended on a conventional three-point play by Jadyn Abrams, the Golden Flyers led, 41-31. She hit a 3-pointer later in the third period to keep the hosts ahead, 44-35. She finished with 13 points and a pair of treys.
Rochester began to find its rhythm late in the third quarter. Kelsey Stites made one free throw. Then Kat Jenks and Stites drove for layups. After a Nazareth free throw, Stites drove again. Haley Dumiak hit a hook off the left block just before the quarter ended to bring Rochester within 48-44.
UR climbed right back into it with the first five points of the fourth: a drive from Alexis Sestric, a putback by Dumiak, and one free throw from Stites. UR led, 49-48. Naz answered with a putback, then back to back 3-pointers from Ryann Stefanik and White to go up, 56-51.
Julianna Okoniewski, who had been crowded all night long in the low post, started to take over. She hit an eight-footer in the lane, then later made a nice spin move in the lane to tie it at 56-all. Naz edged ahead, but Hannah Lindemuth drove for a layup. White canned a 3-pointer for a three-point edge, but Okoniewski scored on a reverse layup and added a free throw to knot it at 61.
Abrams hit a jumper from the top of the key, not even a half-step inside the three-point line, for a 63-61 lead. Sestric drove to tie it, then Okoniewski finished her offensive night with a putback for a 65-63 lead and 1:37 on the clock. She turned the ball over with a minute left, but stole it back 15 seconds later. Callie McCulley blocked two layup attempts in the last five seconds. Naz had the ball out of bounds under its own basket with 2.8 seconds left and Okoniewski stole the pass as the horn sounded.
Okoniewski led UR with 14 points (nine in the last quarter), six rebounds, and four blocked shots. Sestric and Lindemuth had 10 points each. Stites had 10 points and seven assists. McCulley scored seven points, grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, and blocked five shots. Rochester blocked 12 shots as a team. Three teams have blocked 12 shots, three others have blocked more.
Nazareth's leaders were White with 16 points (three 3-pointers), Abrams with 13 and six boards, and Stefanik with 13 points. Sarah Simmons had five points and a game-high 13 rebounds.