ST. LOUIS – The University of Rochester men's basketball team rallied from as many as 14 points down in the second half to force overtime, ultimately falling in the extra session 80-79 at 19th-ranked Washington University in St. Louis in University Athletic Association play on Sunday afternoon at the WU Field House.
First-year Malachi Moore's shot attempt from the baseline at the buzzer in overtime was blocked by Washington's Hayden Doyle, securing the victory for the Bears (12-2, 2-1 UAA).
Moore hit a huge shot from 3-point range in regulation, sinking a left wing triple with 28 seconds remaining to tie the game at 73-all, sending the teams into overtime. The first-year player finished with 19 points in 22 minutes off the bench. He added six rebounds and made 8-of-13 shot attempts.
Junior Logan Jagodzinski led all players with 22 points, adding 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks in 41 minutes played for Rochester (8-6, 2-1 UAA). Senior Matt Wiele scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and graduate student Mitchell Kershner chipped in 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
WashU's leading scorer was Calvin Kapral who had 21 points and six rebounds. Drake Kindsvater added 18 points and 9 boards while Yogi Oliff secured a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Kyle Beedon scored 12 off the bench for the Bears.
Rochester's damage early in the game came from 3-point range. Kershner sank a triple on the games opening possession and Matt Niemczura added another two minutes in to put Rochester up 6-4. WashU edged in front, but another Kershner trey made the score 10-9 Bears after four minutes.
Jagodzinski made UR's fourth 3-pointer of the game to tie the contest at 12 and C.J. Amsellem followed with a hook shot in the paint to pull the Yellowjackets in front 14-12 with 14 minutes left in the opening half.
Washington scored 11 of the next 12 points to go up by eight, 23-15, midway through the half. Oliff had six points in the spurt for the Bears as Rochester went cold, shooting 0-for-5 during the 4-plus minute stretch.
Wiele made a twisting layup inside and Jagodzinski followed with two straight baskets, including a slam dunk, and Rochester quickly pulled back within two.
The Bears maintained the lead the rest of the half, eventually holding an 8-point margin at intermission, up 43-35. Rochester's 6-of-10 shooting from long range kept the Yellowjackets in striking distance, but the Bears overall shot better over the opening 20 minutes, making 55% of their shots.
Rochester had an 8-2 run to start the second half, emphasized by another Jagodzinski dunk and pulled back within two after just four minutes. Will Grudzinski sank a 3-point shot to stop the run and put the Bears back up by five.
The Yellowjackets answered right back, making their next three shots to surge in front for the first time since early in the opening period. Jagodzinski and Tomiwa Adetosoye made driving layups inside and Moore put UR in the lead after a steal and coast-to-coast layup.
WashU quickly regained momentum, scoring the next 11 points, with that coming as a part of an extended 19-4 run which gave the Bears a 14-point lead, the biggest of the game for either team.
Beedon sank two 3-pointers in the run as Washington combined to go 8-for-12 during the seven and a half minute run. With seven minutes left on the clock, the hosts held a 67-53 lead.
UR regained its composure though, posting that same 8-for-12 shooting mark over the next six minutes, leading to a Rochester 17-3 run, tying the game at 70-all with just over a minute left on the clock.
Jagodzinski started the run with a 3-pointer, with Wiele scoring six points in the rush. A Moore layup tied the game with 1:06 remaining after Wiele secured a second chance offensive rebound for the 'Jackets.
At the other end, Washington's Kindsvater made an old-fashioned 3-point play to pull the Bears up by three, but Moore's triple on Rochester's next possession tied the game at 73-73 with under 30 seconds left.
WashU could hold the ball for the final shot in regulation, but Rochester's defense held and Oliff missed a tough, contested 3-pointer as the horn sounded, giving fans five minutes of extra basketball.
In overtime, Wiele ripped the ball away on defense and ran the length of the floor for the opening points, putting Rochester up 75-73, but Kapral quickly answered with a layup inside for the Bears.
A strong feed from Jagodzinski found a cutting Kershner inside for another go-ahead bucket, but the Bears once again answered on the next possession, taking the lead thanks to a foul and flopping technical by the Yellowjackets.
Kapral was fouled in the act of shooting and sank the first of his two free throws. After a discussion, referees issued a technical foul on Rochester for flopping, giving the Bears an additional free throw attempt, which Kindsvater swished through. Kapral finished his free throws making the second and Washington was up 78-77 with 2:55 remaining.
A defensive stop from Washington allowed the Bears to build the lead to three after Doyle hit a turn-around jumper in the paint as the shot clock was expiring.
Down three, UR's Jagodzinski got a good look to tie the game from long range, but his shot rattled out. Washington wound the clock down under 30 seconds, but strong 'Jacket defense forced the miss with Kershner securing the rebound for Rochester.
Washington had fouls to give and let the Yellowjackets chip seconds away before fouling, forcing Rochester to reset its offense multiple times. After two fouls, Wiele worked his way inside for a layup, cutting the Bears lead to one at 80-79 with seven seconds left.
After a UR timeout, WashU turned the ball over on the inbounds play, with Rochester forcing a 5-second violation, giving the Yellowjackets a last second chance to win.
The inbounds came in clean to Adetosoye and after Moore found space along the baseline for a pull-up jumper, Doyle saved the game for the Bears, coming in from the side to swat the potential game-winning shot away.
Rochester returns home next weekend for two big matchups in conference play. UR hosts Carnegie Mellon on Friday night at 7:30 pm, before entertaining Case Western Reserve on Sunday afternoon. All three teams, along with WashU, are tied atop the UAA standings after three games, sitting at 2-1 in the conference.