ROCHESTER, N.Y. (December 1, 2013) – The University of Rochester withstood a furious Mount Union rally in the final minute to hold on for an 87-80 victory in the championship game of the UR/Holiday Inn Airport Thanksgiving Classic.

Nate Vernon led the Yellowjackets (3-3) with a career-high tying 27 points. He was named the Most Valuable Player after scoring 44 points in the two wins. Tyler Sankes was named to the All-Tournament team. He had 17 points and 11 rebounds versus Mount Union, 29 points and 17 rebounds in two games.

Cody Dillon scored 20 points, including six three-point goals, to lead Mount Union. He was an All-Tournamnt team selection along with T.J. Gillespie who had 12 points and 10 assists. Dillon had 41 points in two games (10 three-pointers). Gillespie finished with 34 points and 14 assists for the weekend.

Vernon (11) and Sankes (nine) combined for 20 first half points to push Rochester ahead, 40-30, at halftime. Mount Union opened the second half with a 15-7 burst to pull within 47-45 on Kyle Scelza's layup with five minutes gone by. Shull's three-pointer gave MTU its first lead, 50-49, with 12:16 left.  The lead see-sawed for a minute. Rochester ran off nine straight points to go ahead, 60-52, with nine minutes left. 

Dillon sank back to back treys to make it a two-point game, 60-58, at 8:19.  In the last two minutes, Rochetser hit six free throws – two apiece by Sankes, Sam Borst-Smith, and Vernon, to take an 80-70 lead with 1:17 left.

The Purple Raiders (2-2) scored seven points in 18 seconds to pull within 80-77. Gillespie scored on a conventional three-point play, Jeff Foreman made a layup after a turnover, and Shull sank two free throws after stealing the ball.

Sankes scored on a breakaway layup and Borst-Smith made one free throw. After Scelza hit a trey, Sankes and Borst-Smith made two free throws apiece for the final margin.