ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The University of Rochester showed why it's considered among the handful of national title favorites in 2011-12. Despite a solid effort by the Gators, the nationally-ranked No. 7 Yellowjackets had too much firepower as they took home the championship of the Holiday Inn Airport Invitational, 99-75, on Sunday at the Palestra. In the post-championship awards ceremony, senior James Ness and junior Devone McLeod were named to the All-Tournament team.
It was a great beginning for the Gators on offense, who forced a timeout less than three minutes into the game after a two-handed dunk by Ness capped an 11-3 start. McLeod was sizzling in the opening moments, seemingly scoring at will against Rochester's talented bevy of guards with a series of step-back jumpers and penetrating drives to the cup. Six minutes into the contest he had 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting.
All-American John DiBartolomeo's outstanding point-guard play facilitated an expected comeback by the seasoned Yellowjackets, and with 8:26 to play, Allegheny was forced to call a timeout after having a once 10-point lead reduced to 30-29. Ness, whose presence was a key factor in the Gators' hot start, was forced to the bench after being whistled for three fouls in the first 10 minutes.
After trailing for the first 15 minutes of the tilt, Rochester grabbed its first lead on a fast-break lay-up by senior guard Chris Dende, who finished the game with 20 points. The Yellowjackets expanded their lead down the stretch by getting into the lane and dumping the ball to their bigs. After shooting lights out in the early going, the Gators cooled a bit in settling for a 50-42 deficit at the break.
Allegheny topped 60-percent shooting in the first half for the second-straight game and were led by McLeod, who put in 15. Ness was an unstoppable 4-for-4 in the paint, but his absence late in the half fueled the Rochester surge.
DiBartolomeo continued to shine as the second half got under way. Two three-point plays and an outstanding drive and kick for three triggered an explosive run by Rochester, which led 66-46 with 14 minutes left in regulation. Answering every Allegheny answer behind a barrage of three-point field goals, the Gators were unable to develop into a threat. As the lead swelled past 20, head coach Jim Driggs went with wholesale changes to the lineup in an effort to provide experience to his youth-laden squad.
Ness finished with a team-best 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting, topping the 20-point plateau for the fourth time in six games. After closing 7-of-10 from the floor, McLeod finished with 18 in addition to three assists. Rookie David DiBernardi delivered the best game of his young career, efficiently dropping in 12 points, including 2-for-3 from behind the arc. Kyle Murphy hit both of his three attempts and John O'Donnell added another triple in limited minutes as the Gators finished the day shooting an impressive 58.8% from the floor.
Unfortunately, the Yellow jackets were even better on offense in a game with a tremendous pace. Rochester was an eye-popping 20-of-28 (71.4%) from the field in the second half and finished the game at 61.9%. Rochester's high-octane attack set the tournament record for total points after scoring 106 against Wells on Saturday in addition to its 99-point outburst on Sunday. Four players scored in double figures, led by Dende. John DiBartolomeo was named tournament MVP after scoring 17 points and dishing out a game-best nine assists.
Sunday's game resulted in a homecoming of sorts for Allegheny's second-year coach. Driggs had served as Rochester's top assistant for three years prior to arriving in Meadville.