PITTSFORD, NY – University of Rochester women's basketball defeated the Nazareth University Golden Flyers, 53-47, in their first game of the 2023 Mark's Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout on Thursday evening inside Kidera Gymnasium.
The 'Jackets overcame a cold shooting night, shooting just 29.3 percent and 1-for-15 from beyond the arc, outscoring the Golden Flyers by five points in the final frame to pull away with the victory.
Rochester would jump out to an early lead, scoring seven of the first eight points of the night, and holding the Golden Flyers without a field goal till the 2:50 mark of the first quarter. Abby Gress got the scoring started with her layup just over a minute into the contest before two more free throws from the senior made it a 4-0 Rochester lead.
UR would stretch its lead out to 7-1 before Nazareth scored its first bucket, but the Golden Flyers would end the first quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 10-9 lead after one.
Haley Dumiak would give Rochester the lead right back, scoring a layup from Claire Groenewoud to break the seal a minute and a half into the second quarter. Dumiak's basket would open a 6-0 run for UR, as the 'Jacket again opened up a five-point lead on Groenewoud's layup from Riley Drahos. But the Golden Flyers would answer back and pull within one, 17-16, before the halftime buzzer.
Both teams struggled to find their range in the first half, with Rochester shooting just 20 percent in the first quarter and 23.5 percent in the second, while Nazareth combined to shoot 7-for-27 from the field.
The Yellowjackets started to get their offense going midway through the third, scoring three-straight buckets from Drahos, Dumiak and Groenewoud to turn a 21-20 deficit into a 26-21 lead, but the Golden Flyers would keep things close and took a one-point, 34-33, lead of their own on two free throws from Olivia Dobrovosky with 1:56 left in the third.
Drahos would give the Yellowjackets the lead heading into the fourth with a layup with 14 seconds left in the third before the two sides traded buckets to open the final period.
Rochester looked to pull away with a 9-2 run midway through the fourth, holding the Golden Flyers to 1-for-5 from the field over a 2:26 stretch, capped off by Groenewould's triple, UR's first and only made three-pointer of the game, to take a 45-39 lead.
But down 48-42 with under a minute to play, the Golden Flyers put together one last run. After Groenewoud and Drahos both went 1-for-2 at the line, Dobrovosky drew a shooting foul and sank both of her free throws at the other end to pull Nazareth within five, 49-44, with 34 seconds left.
The Golden Flyers again sent Drahos to the line, where the first-year went 1-for-2, and Katie Maclachlan sank a deep three to make it a three-point, one-possession game.
But the Yellowjackets were able to inbound the ball to Drahos, who again went 1-for-2 at the line, and Callie McCulley corralled the offensive rebound to keep Nazareth from pulling any closer.
Up 51-47, McCulley and Drahos each sank free throws to finish off the win and give UR a 53-47 victory.
Rochester moves to 2-1 with the win, while the Golden Flyers fall to 1-1 with the loss.
Drahos and Groenewoud each tallied a game-high 13 points, while McCulley added 10. Gress notched a game-high 11 rebounds, while Drahos and McCulley each corralled eight.
As a team, UR shot 29.3 percent and 1-for-15 from three, but held the Golden Flyers to 31 percent shooting and outrebound Nazareth, 50-39. UR also scored 16 points off 18 Nazareth turnovers, scoring 15 second-chance points, and outscored Nazareth in the paint, 30-24.
The Yellowjackets will wrap up the Crosstown Shootout on Saturday, Nov. 18 against St. John Fisher University at 6:00 p.m. inside Kidera Gymnasium in Pittsford, NY.