ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Nate Vernon and Tyler Sankes combined for 43 points to lead the University of Rochester to an 87-69 victory over visiting Hamilton College at the Louis Alexander Palestra on Wednesday night.

Sankes led five Rochester players in double figures with 22 points. Vernon scored 21. Kevin Sheehy had 13. Kyle Reardon and Jared Seltzer scored 11 apiece. Rochester (5-5) snapped a two-game losing streak.  The Yellowjackets are idle until January 8 when they play at Averett College in Virginia. 

Matt Hart scored a game-high 29 points for Hamilton (5-3) including three three-point goals. Peter Kazickas added 12 points for the Continentals. No other player scored more than six points.

Rochester shot a season's best 57.1% from the floor, hitting 32 of 56 shots. The Yellowjackets made eight three-pointers in 19 tries (42.1%) and were 15 of 21 from the line.

Hamilton shot 36.5% for the game (23 of 63). The Continentals were eight of 26 outside the arc (30.8%) and 15 of 18 at the line. Hamilton played less than 24 hours after edging SUNY Morrisville, 82-80, at its own Margaret Scott Bundy Field House.

Rochester scored the game's first seven points and led, 14-2 after five minutes.  Hamilton cut the deficit down to eight, 17-9, on Hart's three-pointer with 11:33 left in the half. The lead peaked at 19 twice, first on a Vernon trey, then after two free throws by Sheehy (42-23 with 3:13 left). It was 49-32 at the half.

Hart scored five points in a 12-2 run that pulled Hamilton within five, 64-59, with more than eight minutes remaining.  Joseph Lin's layup kept Hamilton within 67-61 with 7:39 to play. Sankes scored seven points and Vernon added five in a 13-3 burst that put Rochester ahead by 16 (80-64) with just under three minutes remaining.