ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Mitchell Kershner scored eight points in just over two minutes early in the second half to fuel a crucial scoring run as the University of Rochester defeated Stockton University, 72-65, in the semifinals of the UR/Holiday Inn Downtown Thanksgiving Invitational Tournament at the Louis Alexander Palestra.
It was the first loss of the season for the Ospreys (4-1) who scored 113 points in a victory over Rutgers Camden on Tuesday in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Rochester improved to 5-2. The Yellowjackets defeated Hobart College on Tuesday.
Rochester will play Olivet College (Michigan) in Sunday's championship game at 2 p.m. Olivet outscored Elmira College, 95-81, in the second semifinal. Stockton will duel Elmira for third place at 12 p.m.
Kershner scored 16 points, hitting five of seven from the floor, four of six outside the arc, and two of two at the line. He grabbed eight rebounds, seven off the defensive glass. C.J. Ansellem scored 10 points for Rochester. Ross Gang had nine points, Trent Noordsij scored eight (including two treys), Brian Amabilino Perez had seven (plus six defensive rebounds), and T.C. Price scored five.
D.J. Cambell scored 19 points for Stockton. Luciano Lubrano had 14 points and Kadian Dawkins added 11. The Ospreys thrived off their defense. Stockton scored 25 points from 25 Rochester turnovers and had 14 second-chance points. Rochester relied on its bench, getting 33 points from the non-starters. Matt Niemczura scored nine points, Andrew Jackson had four, Amir Basma scored two as did Josiah Knight.
Dawkins had seven of Stockton's 18 steals. Campbell had five steals, and Kyion Flanders had three.
Ansellem and Price sank three-pointers to help Rochester build a 22-13 lead midway through the first half. Stockton gnawed at the lead, then ran off a 9-0 burst to take a 36-34 lead. Dawkins stole the ball for a layup, Nick Duncsak scored off the right block, Lubrano buried a three from the left corner, and Flanders made a steal for a layup. Just before time expired, Kershner hit a trey from the left corner for a 37-36 UR lead.
Stockton had a layup to go ahead, 38-37. Rochester went on a 13-3 run covering three minutes. In that burst, Kershner scored on a fast break after Price's steal, then hit a three-pointer from the right cornerand followed it with a triple from the right of the key. Basma made one free throw and Gang finished the spurt with a layup. It was 52-41 with 14:09 left.
Baskets by Campbell and Duncsak plus a couple of free throws pulled Stockton within 52-47, with 11 minutes to go. Gang scored after his own steal and Amsellem canned a pair at the line to get the lead back to nine.