John DiBartolomeo scored a career high 42 points, added six rebounds and six assists to lead the University of Rochester to a 91-86 victory over Fitchburg State University in the first round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Playoffs at the Louis Alexander Palestra.

Nate Vernon added 16 point and nine rebounds for UR. Rob Reid had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Rochester improved to 22-4. The Yellowjackets will host Ithaca College in the second round of the tournament next weekend. That will be announced by the NCAA basketball committee on Sunday.

Tom Henneberry scored 33 points for Fitchburg State. Zach Valliere had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Mike Ingram-Rubin had 16 points, including five three-point goals. Fitchburg finished 16-11. The Falcons were making their first NCAA men's basketball appearance.

"I could not be prouder of these guys than I am right now," said Fitchburg State head coach Derek Shell. "Two years ago, we won four games. This year, we were the MASCAC champions and we made the tournament."

The Falcons rode 20 first half points from Henneberry and nine from Ingram-Rubin to a 48-all tie in a punch-counter-punch first half. DiBartolomeo had 17 points in the first 20 minutes for Rochester, but hit just four of 11 from the floor. He was nine of 12 at the foul line. In the first half, Fitchburg shot 50% from the floor, hitting 17 of 34, and 53% outside the arc (eight of 15).

"We hit three-point shots," said Shell. "We've had halves like that before. We've been on attack all year."

"I was really impressed with Fitchburg," said Rochester coach Luke Flockerzi. "They played like you expect a team of upperclassmen to play." 

Fitchburg broke away from a 48-all halftime tie to build a six point lead, 57-51, on a layup and free throw by Henneberry with 15:51 left.  Rochester rallied to tie the score four times in the next five minutes. The Yellowjackets finally went ahead for good on Reid's layup with 10:00 left, 68-67. DiBartolomeo followed with a three-pointer. It eventually grew to seven points, 82-75, on Vernon's trey from right wing with 5:11 left.

Two free throws from Valliere helped Fitchburg close to within 84-80 with four minutes left. Neither team could score for a long stretch and the Yellowjackets finally got the clinching bucket when DiBartolomeo stole the ball at midcourt and fed Kevin Sheehy for a layup and six point edge, 86-80, with 48 seconds left.

It was his only steal of the game and his only assist in the second half. "They were in transition," DiBartolomeo said of Fitchburg. "Henneberry shot great. I saw him moving and Ingram-Rubin was going for the pitchback. I got a hand on it, came away, and saw Sheehy running the floor with (Tyler) Seidman."

That was one of just four turnovers by the Falcons. It helped Fitchburg keep control of the ball, but Shell found another factor that helped turn the game. "Rochester had 18 offensive rebounds," he pointed out. "To me, that's the same thing because it's another chance for them to have the ball."

Reid and Tyler Sankes had four offensive rebounds apiece (Sankes had eight boards and six points). Kent Coyne grabbed six of his 10 rebounds off the offensive glass.

"We kept them off the three-point line," said Henneberry. "Their shooters didn't have their best game."

Rochester hit 40% from the floor for the night, 31% in the second half. The Yellowjackets made 29 of 39 from the foul line. DiBartolomeo was 17 of 22 from the stripe.

"He's crafty and able to get into our defense," Shell said of DiBartolomeo. "We wanted to drive him off the three-point line and we did that/. But he got to the foul line."