CHICAGO – The University of Rochester men's basketball team refused to give up on Sunday afternoon, but a valiant comeback effort fell just short as UR dropped a 90-83 decision to the University of Chicago at the Ratner Athletics Center.
Rochester (13-7, 4-5 UAA) trailed by 19 points, down 77-58 with 5:04 remaining in the contest, eventually trimming the Chicago lead to just three in the final minute of the contest.
Overall, the late game run was 25-9 in favor of the Yellowjackets, as UR made half of its ten 3-pointers in the game during the stretch. That, coupled with a few Chicago free throw misses and turnovers, allowed the Yellowjackets right back into the game, after trailing by double-digits most of the second half.
UR had five scorers finish with 10-plus points, led by junior and Illinois native Ryan Clamage who ended with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Jacob Wittig finished with 14 points and seven assists and Andrew Lundstrom added 13 points and four assists. Jacob Urban chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds while Tucker Knox scored 10 points off the bench.
Chicago (9-11, 5-4 UAA) had two players score over half of its 90 points, with Rochester-area native doing the most damage, with 25 points, including six 3-pointers. Collin Barthel added 22 points and seven rebounds for the Maroons, who also won one week ago at UR's Palestra by a 72-65 score.
In the first half, Rochester would pull ahead by four, 12-8, roughly five minutes into the contest following a Clamage putback of his own miss. The Yellowjackets went cold the next seven minutes, not scoring until Urban recorded a layup with under eight minutes to go in the opening half, allowing Chicago to pull ahead 16-14.
After the Yellowjackets tied the score, Chicago embarked on a 10-2 spurt, sparked by a Justin Jackson old-fashioned 3-point play and a Fenlon triple, pulling ahead 26-18.
UR got back within five late in the half, but the Maroons scored the last five points before the break, with Fenlon again sinking a long ball, to head into intermission up 35-25.
Starting the second half with two baskets, Rochester clawed within six, down 35-29, but that is as close as the visitors would get until the final minute of the game. Chicago's first six field goals of the second twenty minutes were all from distance, three by Fenlon, on by Barthel and a sixth by Max Jacobs.
Another 10-2 run by Chicago, with Barthel and Fenlon providing all the scoring, pulled the Maroons up 62-46 at the midpoint of the second half.
UC's lead then high a game-high 19 after a six-point spurt from Sam Sustacek and Cole Schmitz. That would set the scene for UR's surge late in the game, one that ultimately fell short in the teams fourth straight loss.
For the game, Rochester shot 43% from the floor (31-72), but host Chicago was comfortable on its home floor, to the tune of a 48% shooting percentage (24-50). UR was 10-28 (36%) from distance, impressive after an 0-7 start, while Chicago shot 11-23 (48%) from distance.
Free throw shooting and rebounding proved to be a big difference in this one, with Chicago making 31-38 attempts at the charity stripe, compared to Rochester's 11-12. The Maroons also outrebounded UR 39-31, the fourth straight game in which the Yellowjackets have lost the rebound battle.
Rochester continues its four-game road trip next weekend, playing at Case Western Reserve on Friday at 8 pm.