PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Defensive intensity played a major role once again as the University of Rochester defeated Nazareth College, 65-46, in the second round of the Mark's Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout on Saturday evening.
 
UR's win gave the Yellowjackets an unofficial title in the two-game tournament. Rochester was the only one of the four teams to finish 2-0. The Yellowjackets defeated St. John Fisher, 61-41, on Thursday evening. Fisher defeated RIT in overtime in Saturday's first game. The Tigers defeated Nazareth at Nazareth on Thursday. So Fisher and RIT wound up 1-1 (the loss was the first of the year for the Tigers) and Nazareth was 0-2.
 
More importantly, this was Rochester's fourth consecutive victory (4-4). UR lost its first four games, then defeated Oswego State on the road last week (62-46) for its first win. The Yellowjackets rallied to defeat The College at Brockport, 61-44, in the Palestra four days ago. In Rochester's Thursday win over Fisher, the Yellowjackets held the Cardinals to 29% shooting from the field, 21% outside the arc, held a 42-31 edge on the glass, blocked seven shots, and recorded eight steals.
 
Nazareth lost its third straight after a 3-0 start (3-3).
 
Against the Golden Flyers, Rochester won the battle of the board, 42-34, blocked three shots, and recorded 16 steals on 21 Nazareth turnovers.
  

Four players hit double figures for UR: Julianna Okoniewski scored 16 points, grabbed five boards, had one block, and two steals in 22 minutes. Brenna James sank 4 of 7 outside the arc enroute to 14 points. She had three assists and three steals. Jamie Boeheim scored 12 points in 14 minutes (5-8 from the floor) with seven rebounds and a block. Lena Ethington scored 11 points, had eight rebounds (seven at the Naz end of the floor), handed out two assists, and recorded four steals. Camryn Fagan had five steals and five rebounds.
 
Nazareth's sole double figure scorer was Isabella Gjonaj with a double-double (12 pts., 10 rebounds). She hit 6-7 from the floor and blocked five shots. Rachel Benedict had five steals and three assists for Nazareth. Lizzie Straub scored five points. Four other players scored four points.
 
Down 7-4 through seven minutes, Rochester outscored Nazareth 7-2 in the last three minutes of the first quarter to take an 11-9 lead. Boeheim made a layup, scored on a putback, and Kenna Lauer sank a trey from left wing.
 
Okoniewski led the charge early in the second period. She scored eight points – all around the basket – in 12-2 run that staked the Yellowjackets to a 23-11 lead. The other points came on two free throws by Gillian Mair and a driving layup by Ethington. It was 26-17 at halftime.
 
Ethington was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. She had 27 points and 18 rebounds in the two wins, shooting 13-25 from the floor. Okoniewski joined her on the All-Tournament Team. She had 24 points and 11 rebounds in the victories. The other All-Tournament Team members were Cori Okada of RIT, Sydney Massa and Olivia Baumann of St. John Fisher, and Gjonaj.