PITTSFORD, N.Y. - Playing by far its best game of the young season against a quality opponent, the University of Rochester men's basketball team defeated Hobart College, 85-75, in the quarterfinal round of the Wendy's College Classic at Nazareth College.
The win puts seventh-seeded Rochester into a Friday night semifinal game against sixth-seeded Roberts Wesleyan College at Roberts. The Red Hawks banked in a three at the buzzer to edge Nazareth, 70-68. The Yellowjackets won their third straight game and improved to 4-3. They also avenged an 83-73 loss to Hobart earlier this season in Geneva.
It was the first loss of the season for Hobart (3-0). The Statesmen were the tournament's second seed behind the College at Brockport. Hobart will play at RIT in the consolation bracket on Friday.
Hobart won the 2011-12 Wendy's title, beating Nazareth in the championship game. Rochester defeated Hobart last year to win the crown.
Rochester used balance throughout the lineup with five players scoring 10 or more points. Freshman guards Sam Borst-Smith and Mack Montague combined for 35 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, one block, and two steals in 53 minutes off the bench. They both had career best point totals. Borst-Smith tied for game scoring honors with 22 points. He hit six of 11 from the floor (including 1-1 on treys) and made nine of nine free throws. He had six assists, another season's high, one block, and two steals in 34 minutes. Montague put in 19 minutes of court time, scoring 13 points (three of seven, one three-pointer, and six free throws in eight tries), grabbing five defensive rebounds, and registering one assist.
Nate Vernon scored 13 points for Rochester and had five defensive boards. Tyler Sankes scored 13 points and grabbed eight boards. Kevin Sheehy had 10 points and four assists.
The Yellowjackets shot 41% from the floor in the first half, hitting 12 of 29 shots. They made three of six beyond the arc and were almost perfect at the line (12 of 13). In the second half, Rochester hit 54% (13 of 24) overall, 75% outside the arc (3-4), and 81% at the stripe (17-21). Rochester made 29 of 34 from the line overall.
Hobart's Joe Gibbons and Richie Bonney combined for 40 Statesmen points. Gibbons hit nine of 13 from the floor, 2-2 outside the arc, and scored 22 points. Bonney had the game's only double-double with 18 points (7-15, 1-1 on treys), and grabbed 10 rebounds. He blocked three shots.
The Statesmen hit 13 of 33 from the field in the first 20 minutes (39%), 4-9 on treys (44%) and 6-11 free throws (54.5%). In the second half, Hobart found the range inside, hitting 14 of 30 shots (47%) but sank only three of 13 beyond the arc (23%). For the evening, Hobart made 43% from the floor (27-63), 32% on treys (7-22) and 70% from the line (14-20).
This game turned primarily on two scoring runs by Rochester. Hobart ran off a 16-6 burst to build a 20-10 lead midway through the first half. Pete Drescher hit a pair of three-pointers in the spurt. Rochester answered with a 23-5 run over eight minutes, keyed by Montague and Borst-Smith. Montague scored 11 points and Borst-Smith had five. Sheehy's three-pointer with just under three minutes left in the half gave Rochester a 33-25 edge. Hobart closed within 37-36 (five points by Thomas Campion) before Borst-Smith connected from the right of the key for a 39-36 lead at the break.
The lead was eight, 50-42, after a Gibbons layup five minutes into the second half. Sankes made a layup for Rochester and over the next five minutes, the Yellowjackets saw five players score to build the lead to 62-46. Sheehy hit another trey in the run while Jared Seltzer and Zach Ayres made consecutive three-point plays. Seltzer scored on a putback, drew Campion's third foul, and sank the free throw. Shortly after, Ayres twisted in for a layup, was fouled by Zach Grattan, and made the free throw.