PITTSFORD, NY – The Rochester women's basketball team was edged out late by host St. John Fisher 56-53 on Saturday night in the de facto championship game of the Mark's Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout at Manning and Napier Gymnasium.
Both teams won their opening round matchup on Thursday evening in the round robin format featuring four Rochester area schools. UR defeated Nazareth and St. John Fisher bested RIT to set up the showdown for the tournament title.
On Saturday, the game was tied as late as three minutes remaining, with Rochester (4-2) pulling ahead by two after a Julianna Okoniewski layup in the lane 30 seconds later.
St. John Fisher's Claire Kruszka, the game's leading scorer with 18 points, drained a 3-pointer to regain the lead for the Cardinals (4-0) in the final minute of play, giving the hosts the lead for good.
UR's next possession saw the Yellowjackets miss two shots in close, with Amy Gardner pulling down the defensive rebound for the Cardinals. She was fouled and only made 1-of-2 free throws to make the score 55-53.
Rochester advanced the ball after a timeout and missed a jump shot with under ten seconds left and was forced to foul Kaitlyn Walker who cleaned up the defensive rebound. Walker only made 1-of-2 at the line and UR still had a chance to possibly tie with a 3-pointer in the closing seconds, but a turnover on the ensuing inbounds play sealed the Cardinals victory.
Kruszka finished the game with 18 points for the Cardinals. Her teammate Walker had 12 points and 9 rebounds.
Rochester's Okoniewski led the Yellowjackets with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. The senior had a strong final quarter, helping keep UR in the game, with 8 points, 5 board and 3 blocks in the final ten minutes.
Hannah Lindemuth finished with 11 points as the only other Rochester player in double-figures. Alexis Sestric chipped in seven points while Maura Leverone had 4 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Two others, Kat Jenks and Abby Gress also added four points.
Both Lindemuth and Okoniewski were UR's representatives on the All-Tournament Team. The pair was joined by St. John Fisher's Kruszka, who was named MVP, and Walker.
The game finished as a defensive battle with neither breaking 40% shooting for the game. UR was 19-of-59 from the floor (32.2%), while the Cardinals ended 21-of-57 (36.8%). The teams combined to shoot 7-of-35 from long range as well, a 20% clip. Rochester was perfect at the free throw line though, making all 12 chances, the third most ever in a 100% game in school history.
After one quarter, SJFC's Kruszka had as many points as Rochester did, with each scoring eight, as the Cardinals led 14-8.
St. John Fisher's lead got to as large as nine following a 9-0 burst midway through the second quarter.
UR's Gress and Jayda Starckey each scored a bucket down the stretch in the second to send the Yellowjackets to the locker room trailing 25-20.
In the third, Rochester battled to tie the game at 29-all following five straight points from Sestric, but the Cardinals answered right back with five points in a row to regain the lead.
After three, St. John Fisher led by six, 45-39.
Rochester started the fourth quickly, scoring eight of the first ten points to gain a 47-46 advantage. The lead was short lived though, as Sidney Tomasso drained a 3-pointer for the Cardinals to get the hosts back up by two points.
After Lindemuth made two free throws to pull even, St. John Fisher's Katie Moravec made a driving layup to pull St. John Fisher up 51-49 with 4:14 left.
That would set up the two Okoniewski buckets over the next 90 seconds to put UR in front until Kruszka's big shot with 45 seconds left.
UR returns home for another non-conference matchup on Tuesday night, hosting William Smith College in a 6 pm matchup at the Palestra.