PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Rochester came alive in the last three minutes of the UR-Nazareth College showdown in the Mark's Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout on Saturday evening. The Yellowjackets outscored Nazareth, 9-3, in the last 2:39 to capture a 64-59 victory.
Zack Ayers made a short jumper in the lane and later added a layup. Ryan Clamage knocked down two big free throws and the win was secured by Rochester making three of six from the foul line in the final 30 seconds.
The victory boosts Rochester's record to 8-0. Nazareth, which lost its first of the season on Friday night to RIT, is now 4-2.
Mack Montague was named the MVP of the tournament. He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Sam Borst-Smith, Tyler Steiglein of Nazareth, Tyler English and Keegan Ryan of St. John Fisher, and AJ Forde of RIT.
Rochester was the only team to win both games. The Yellowjackets defeated St. John Fisher, 77-66, on Friday night. RIT topped Nazareth. In Saturday's opening game, Fisher topped RIT.
UR put four players in double figures. Montague had a game high 19 points, including a pair of three-pointers. He added three boards, three assists, and two steals. Ayers finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and one steal. Borst-Smith was plagued by second half foul trouble. He still managed 10 points, two assists, and four steals in 27 minutes. Michael Mangan came off the bench to score 10 points in 20 minutes.
Clamage and Andrew Lundstrom gave the Yellowjackets good work on the boards getting five rebounds each. Lundstrom also made a couple of layups while Clamage was 4-4 at the stripe.
Knox had a game-high 10 rebounds, all off the defensive glass. Rochester held a slim 37-36 advantage on the backboards.
For Nazareth, Cody Green came off the bench to score 15 points. He hit four three-pointers and three free throws – those coming after he was fouled on a three-point shot from in front of his own bench. Brendan Wind had 11 points and nine assists. Tyler Stenglein scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
The Yellowjackets led by 12 after a Lundstrom layup with 12:47 to go (46-34). Over the next four and a half minutes, Nazareth pushed, outscoring Rochester 14-3 with the only UR points coming from an Ayres three-pointer at the top of the key. Naz hit five of six from the line in the rush. When Wind hit 2-2, it was a one-point UR edge, 49-48, with 8:03 to go.
Montague made a layup, then cashed in two free throws and Clamage restored the edge to six, 55-49, by hitting both ends of a one-and-one with 6:30 left. Rochester went scoreless for the next four minutes and Nazareth took advantage.
Stenglein scored in the lane, Green sank his fourth trey of the night, this one from deep on left wing, and Stenglein dropped in a 10 footer off the right baseline. That put Naz ahead, 56-55.
Ayres restored a one-point lead (57-56) with a floater almost 30 seconds later. This time, Wind drilled the trey – from left wing – with 2:16 on the clock to put Nazareth ahead, 59-57.
Clamage was fouled in the low post and made both ends of a two-shot foul with 1:57 to go. That tied it. A layup by Ayres put Rochester back in front – to stay this time – with 1:22 remaining (61-59).
Borst-Smith ran down a loose ball at the Nazareth end of the floor and was fouled. He made the second of two shots (62-59) with 0:30 left. On the next Naz trip downcourt, Mangan managed to deflect a loose ball and Borst-Smith grabbed it with 12.4 seconds remaining. He made the front end this time (63-59). The final point came from Mangan, fouled with less than a second to play.