ATLANTA – The University Athletic Association men's title ends in a three-way tie after Emory University and Washington University posted home court wins on Saturday afternoon. Rochester, Emory, and Washington all finished at 10-4 in the UAA.
The Eagles defeated the Yellowjackets, 72-54, at the Woodruff PE Center. Washington defeated Chicago, 72-54, in St. Louis. Rochester ends up 21-4 overall, 10-4 in the UAA. Washington is 20-5 overall, and Emory is 19-6 overall. The UAA's Pool a bid goes to Washington for a 3-1 record head to head vs. Emory and Rochester. The Yellowjackets were 2-2 against both foes, beating them in the Palestra and losing on the road.
In his last regular season game, John DiBartolomeo led the Yellowjackets with 16 points. He grabbed six rebounds and handed out two assists. Rob Reid was the only other double figure scorer. He had 10 points and grabbed four boards. Tyler Sankes and Nate Vernon scored nine points each. Vernon had a career high 10 rebounds. Sankes grabbed five boards.
Alex Greven led Emory with 14 points, including three three-point goals. Michael Florin had 11 points and 10 assists. McPherson Moore scored 11 points. Michael Friedberg had eight points and 10 rebounds, and Jake Davis scored nine points.
Emory opened a 32-20 lead at the half and was able to maintain a comfortable second half advantage by shooting 56% from the floor (14 of 25). The Eagles hit 46% from the field for the game (26-57), 44% outside the arc (7-16), and 57% from the line (13-23). Rochester shot 32% from the floor (17-53), just 29% in the second half (8-28). Rochester was 2-13 beyond the arc (15%), hitting both treys in the second half. The Yellowjackets made 18 of 24 at the line (75%).
Rochester couldn't connect over the last eight minutes of the first half and Emory used a 16-4 sprint to take charge of the game. Four players contributed to the run for the Eagles. Greven hit a pair of three-pointers and scored seven of the 16 points. Will Trawick had four points, Friedberg three, and Florin two.
With Rochester defending a slim 10-9 lead six minutes into the game, Alex Foster drove for a layup and Moore hit a three-pointer after a Rochester turnover. That put the Eagles in front, 14-10.
DiBartolomeo answered with a layup for Rochester, but Davis drove for a layup on the break. A jumper by Kent Coyne and Reid's layup got the Yellowjackets level at 16-all with 8:08 left in the half.
Florin put Emory ahead 10 seconds later and Greven rattled in a three-pointer 90 seconds later. He made the second of two free throws with 5:45 to go, drawing Coyne's third foul in the process.
Vernon made two free throws (22-18 Emory at 5:36) before Friedberg sank a three-pointer and Trawick made two from the line (27-20). Reid's layup with 2:42 left in the half got Rochester within 27-20 and ended a field goal drought of 5:26. Trawick hit a follow and Greven sank another three-pointer in the final minute for the 12-point halftime margin.
Davis and Vernon traded three-pointers to start the second half, but the closest the Yellowjackets could get was 10 points – twice in the first six minutes after the restart. Vernon, DiBartolomeo, and Sankes made layups to cut it to 39-29 and after Florin scored on a layup, Sankes made another layup (41-31 Emory at 14:08).
Two free throws from Kyle Reardon drew Rochester within 45-34 with over 11 minutes left. Emory went on a 10-2 spree over the next four minutes with four players contributing for a 55-36 lead as the clock dipped below eight minutes.