ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The University of Rochester used a late-game 12-2 run to take command in a 69-58 victory over Utica College in the championship game of the UR/Holiday Inn Downtown Thanksgiving Tournament at the Louis Alexander Palestra on Sunday afternoon.
UR (7-1) has hosted three tournaments this fall. In mid-November, the Yellowjackets won their own Chuck Resler Invitational. A week later, they finished 2-0 in the Mark's Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout, featuring St. John Fisher, Nazareth College, and RIT.
They earned this title by defeating Keuka College, 80-46, on Saturday and then rallying past Utica College on Sunday. Utica is 4-2 overall. In the third place game on Sunday, Neumann University defeated Keuka, 72-68.
Rochester's Brian Amabilino Perez was selected as the MVP. He had a career high 13 points in Saturday's win over Keuka, then topped that with 15 points against Utica. He added six rebounds, four assists, and gave the UR offense a boost with his long dashes up the court to attack the basket.
Utica came out of the halftime locker room with an 8-2 run in less than two minutes: Darius Hopkins drained a three from right wing. After Kailan Lee scored for UR, Kimedrick Murphy put home a followup and Hunter Remley sank a three from the top of the key. It was 36-30 in favor of the guests.
UR scored 13 of the next 19 points, starting with a three-pointer from Ryan Algier and then quickly a putback. When the spurt ended with back to back 2-2 free throw accuracy by Trent Noordsij and Amabilino Perez, it was a one-point game again: 43-42 Rochester five minutes into the period.
They kept dueling. T.C. Price hit a three-pointer, then scored on a give & go layup for a49-45 UR lead. Two of Utica's next three baskets were treys – one from Hopkins, one from Kobe Lufkin. The Lufkin jumper gave Utica a 53-51 lead with 9:25 left.
The Pioneer shooting turned cold and Rochester was able to clear the boards. Ross Gang scored on a fast break to tie it. Amabilino Perez matched that, then followed with four free throws. Gang drove for another layup and Noordsij finished the burst with a pullup 10 footer on the left baseline. It was 63-55 with 2:34 remaining.
Amabilino Perez was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Algier (10 points, eight rebounds), Hopkins and Murphy of Utica, Anthony Mitchell of Neumann University, and James Barnes of Keuka.
For Rochester, Lee had 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Price hit 4-5 from the floor (2-3 outside the arc). Gang scored nine points. Noordsij had eight rebounds and four points.
Hopkins finished with 17 points for the Pioneers (3-6 outside the arc). Murphy had 13 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and two steals. He scored six of Utica's first 10 points, powering into the lane for layups. Thomas Morreale had nine points and eight rebounds. Remley had nine points, all on three-pointers.
Rochester is idle until December 10 when the Yellowjackets host Ithaca College in a women's and men's doubleheader.