PITTSBURGH, PA – Second-ranked Rochester rode the outside shooting of Tyler Seidman and the inside presence of Tyler Sankes to a 72-63 men's basketball victory over Carnegie Mellon University on Friday evening at Skibo Gymnasium.
 
The victory improves Rochester's record to 15-0 overall, 4-0 in the University Athletic Association. This is the best Yellowjacket start since 2003-04 when the team began 19-0. Carnegie Mellon is 3-12 overall, 0-4 UAA. After Friday's UAA games, Rochester and Brandeis remain tied for first place at 4-0. Brandeis plays at Washington Sunday while Rochester goes to Case Western Reserve.
 
Seidman scored 17 points, including five three-point goals. Sankes scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds. John DiBartolomeo led Rochester with 19 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
 
Asad Meghani led Carnegie Mellon with 19 points. Andre Moore scored 15, and Rob Mohen added 13. Meghani (three) and Moore (two) combined for five three-pointers in the first half as Carnegie took a 37-34 lead into the locker room. Seidman had 14 points at halftime, 12 coming on four treys.
 
Kent Coyne drained a three-pointer for Rochester to start the second half and that ignited a 14-2 run over the first eight minutes that put Rochester ahead, 48-39.  Sankes scored five points in less than a minute as part of the run.
 
CMU cut the deficit down to five points several times in the second half. Mohen sank three of four from the line to get the Tartans within 59-54 with 5:09 left. With three minutes left, Sankes dropped in a layup and DiBartolomeo drove the lane for a layin 45 seconds later.
 
Moore's layup kept it at seven, 63-56, before Seidman hit his fifth three pointer, this one from left wing with 1:24 remaining to give Rochester a 10-point edge. In the final 40 seconds, DiBartolomeo sank four free throws and Nate Vernon made two as Rochester wrapped up the win.