University of Rochester Yellowjacket women's basketball stormed out to an early lead and held on late to defeat No. 17 St. John Fisher University, 68-55, in their first game of the Mark's Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout on Thursday at the Louis Alexander Palestra.
 
Callie McCulley got the scoring started for Rochester with her turn-around jumper 13 seconds into the opening period. Abby Gress then knocked down a three, one of three first-quarter threes for the junior, as Rochester caught fire from beyond the arc.
 
The 'Jackets shot 55.9 percent (5-for-9) from beyond the arc in the first, as they raced out to an early lead on the Cardinals.
 
Claire Kruszka answered Gress' three-pointer with one of her own, cutting UR's lead down to 5-3, but Gress knocked down another one on the next possession to make it 8-3 Rochester with 8:36 left in the quarter.
 
After McCulley added another layup to put the 'Jackets up 10-3, Sidney Tomasso knocked down another triple for Fisher, pulling the Cardinals within four.
 
But just minutes later, Alexis Sestric knocked down her first three-pointer of the evening, and Katie Titus followed with one of her own, putting Rochester up 18-10 with 3:33 left in the first.
 
Gress would hit her third with 2:53 to play in the period, and with a 7-0 run over the next 1:14 Rochester took its largest lead of the first half, 25-15, on McCulley's layup with just over two minutes to play in the first.
 
But the Cardinals would pull within seven with three-straight Tomasso buckets to end the first, and Tomasso would add another, this time a three-pointer from Presleigh Brunner, to cut UR's lead down to just four, 25-21, 12 seconds into the second quarter.
 
The Yellowjackets found their answer with Maura Leverone's triple on the ensuing possession, but Tomasso again pulled St. John Fisher within a score, 29-27, with 7:31 left in the first half.
 
Again though, Rochester responded, keeping Fisher from evening the score and extending their lead before the halftime break.
 
Sestric's jumper with 5:48 to play made it a four-point game, and McCulley followed with a layup off Titus' assist to make it a six-point UR lead.
 
And while Kruszka's and-one brought the Cardinals within three, buckets by Gress and Dumiak helped Rochester end the final 5:01 of the second quarter on an 8-3 run to take a 37-30 at the break.
 
The Yellowjackets quickly extended their lead to double digits to start the third, but again, and with an 8-0 run, St. John Fisher pulled within three, 41-38 on Katie Moravec's three, and again one possession later on Kaitlyn Walker's layup.
 
But the Yellowjackets would hold Fisher to just one basket the rest of the third, outscoring the Cardinals, 8-2 over a four-plus minute stretch to take a 51-42 lead heading to the fourth.
 
McCulley and Kelsey Stites sunk back-to-back three-pointers to make it a seven-point lead, and Dumiak ended the quarter with a layup, making it a nine-point lead at the quarter break.
 
And Rochester would keep the scoring up to start the fourth, pulling away with a 9-2 run over the first 4:51 of the final frame. Gress sank another three-pointer to start the quarter and bring the 'Jackets' lead back out to double digits, while two free throws by  Claire Groenewoud made it 56-44 with 8:28 remaining.
 
Sestric notched a driving layup with 6:38 left to make it 58-44 before Leverone capped off the run with another driving layup.
 
Over an 11:27 stretch from midway through the third till midway through the fourth, the 'Jackets held St. John Fisher to just six points on 3-for-11 shooting, while seven different Yellowjackets scored to help Rochester extend its lead.
 
The 'Jackets would take their largest lead of the game, 64-47, with 2:31 to play on a pair of McCulley free throws, before St. John Fisher would make one last run.
 
On Lauren Petrie's three, the Cardinals cut the deficit to 11, 64-53, with just over a minute to play, but Rochester hit their free throws and played tough defense down the stretch, holding Fisher without another basket till just before the final horn, to seal the 68-55 victory.
 
Rochester moves to 3-0 with the win, while St. John Fisher falls to 3-1 with the loss.
 
Gress and McCulley each led UR with 16 points, while Gress added a team-high seven rebounds. Leverone and Sestric joined the duo in double figures with 10 points apiece, while Leverone and Titus each notched a game-high three assists.
 
Defensively, McCulley led UR with four blocks, while the 'Jackets held St. John Fisher to 34.4 percent shooting, outscoring the Cardinals in the paint, 32-20.
 
The Yellowjackets will next host Nazareth College as they wrap up the Mark's Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. inside the Louis Alexander Palestra.