ROCHESTER, NY- Tournament Most Valuable Player Sarah Payonk scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the University of Scranton to a 63-59 victory over the University of Rochester at the Louis Alexander Palestra on Saturday night.
 
Scranton won the women's title in Rochester's Chuck Resler Invitational tournament. It was the second Resler Tournament title for the Royals in the last five years. Scranton defeated Rochester, 61-45, to win the 2012-13 crown.
 
Scranton is 2-0. The Lady Royals defeated the University of Mount Union, 70-36, on Friday. Rochester is 2-1. The Yellowjackets reached the final with an 88-76 victory over SUNY New Paltz.
 
Both teams are ranked in the top 10 of three pre-season polls. D3hoops.com has Scranton fifth, Rochester seventh. The USA Today/ESPN poll for the WBCA has Scranton third and Rochester ninth. In the poll conducted by DIIINews, Scranton is second and Rochester is 10^th.
 
Payonk's 21 points included her 1,000^th career point, scored on a jumper with 3:58 left in the first quarter. For the night, she hit seven of 13 floor shots, her only three-point attempt, and all six free throw attempts.
 
Bridgette Mann joined Payonk on the all-tournament team. She scored 20 points including nine of nine at the foul line. Mann made two clinching free throws with seven seconds left for the final margin.

Rochester drew within 61-59 on two free throws by Alexandra Leslie. She had 16 points and was named to the all-tournament team with teammate Lauren Deming (10 points, 11 rebounds, three steals). Rochester's scoring leader was Brenna James. She sank six of 13 from the field, five of seven outside the arc. Rochester made seven three-pointers. Deming and Lauren Foley had one each.
 
Alexix Roman had 12 points and 11 rebounds for Scranton. For the game, Scranton shot 39% from the floor (22-56), 29% from three point range (2-7), and 100% at the line (17-17). Rochester made 19 of 61 floor shots (31%, 7 of 23 beyond the arc (30%), and 78% at the line (14-18). The Yellowjackets grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and turned those into 17 points.
 
Scranton led throughout the first half. James sank a three-pointer for Rochester with 2:00 left in the half to pull the Yellowjackets within four, 28-24. Payonk hit a jumpshot and Roman sank a layup to put the Lady Royals up, 32-24, at halftime.
 
The lead peaked at nine after Mann's steal and driving layup in the third quarter (36-27, 8:30 left). Rochester nibbled with three-pointers from James and then Deming to cut the deficit down to 40-37 with 5:36 left. Payonk hit a jumper, but Leslie sank back to back jumpers and Jillian Silvestri followed with a 12 footer from left wing to put Rochester ahead, 43-42, with 91 seconds left. Payonk's jumpshot put Scranton back on top and she eventually hit a three from the left of the key with 33 seconds left for a four-point lead heading into the last quarter (47-43).
 
Another trey by James drew the Yellowjackets within one (49-48 at 7:05). Leslie's jumpshot edged Rochester in front, 50-49. Mann sank a trey (52-50 UofS) before a layup by James tied the score at 52-all. Mann made two free throws, then sank a jumper in a span of 27 seconds to push the Lady Royals ahead for good, 56-52, at 3:52. UR narrowed it to two points three times, all after two free throws (by Deming, Lauren Foley, and Leslie).