PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Rochester led for most of the game enroute to its third straight victory, this one a 61-41 victory over St. John Fisher College in the opening round of the Mark's Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout at Nazareth College on Thursday evening.
 
The Yellowjackets used balanced scoring (six women had at least seven points), a strong rebounding presence (outrebounded the Cardinals, 42-31), and good defense (seven blocked shots, eight steals) to earn the win.
 
Rochester won both Mark's games in the past two seasons. The Yellowjackets will play Nazareth in Kidera Gymnasium on Saturday at 8 p.m. St. John Fisher will take on RIT at Nazareth at 6 p.m. In Thursday's second game, RIT defeated Nazareth, 67-61. Rochester is now 3-4 overall. St. John Fisher slipped to 5-3.
 
Lena Ethington produced a career high 16 points, hitting eight of 12 from the floor. She added 10 rebounds and two steals. Lauren Foley came off the bench to contribute 10 points including three three-point goals. Jamie Boeheim had eight points, four boards, and two blocks. Julianna Okoniewski had eight points and six rebounds. Camryn Fagan had three steals, seven points, and seven rebounds.
 
Shannon Loiseau had five rebounds, four off the offensive glass. Rochester hit 40% from the floor, 73% from the line (8-11). Gillian Mair matched Fagan's three assists. She also scored eight points including a three-pointer.
 
The Fisher scoring leaders were Sydney Masna with 11 points, Erin Hulbert and Mallory Wood with 10 points. Wood and Leah Koonmen had seven rebounds each. Hulbert had four of Fisher's 10 steals.
 
SJFC struggled with its shooting in the second and fourth periods. The Cardinals were 3-10 from the floor in the second quarter (UR led, 28-18, at halftime) and 1-11 in the final quarter.
 
A flurry by Fisher late in the third quarter and early in the fourth trimmed a double-digit Rochester lead down to eight points.  The last time was at the 7:19 mark after Wood sank one free throw (44-36). Rochester answered with a 13-2 run in three-and-a-half minutes to restore the lead to 57-38. Ethington scored six of the 13 points – she had 10 points in the quarter – and Mair sank a rattle-around-three from the left corner.