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PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Nazareth staged a valiant second-half rally Saturday against nationally ranked University of Rochester in men's basketball, but the in the end the unbeaten Yellowjackets prevailed, taking 75-66 victory over the Golden Flyers.
The game, played at St. John Fisher's Manning and Napier Gymnasium, was part of the third annual Mark's Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout. UR, ranked 17
th nationally by d3hoops.com, improved to 9-0 overall by winning twice in the two-day event. Nazareth dropped to 4-2.
Sophomore
Stephen Gabel scored a career-high 18 points and senior
Tyler Stenglein added 16 for the Golden Flyers. Senior
Jake Burgio was held to seven points, but grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
Four players reached double digits for UR, led by Jacob Wittig's 15 points. Ryan Algier added 13 points, Andrew Lundstrom had 11 and Michael Mangan 10.
Nazareth led 24-18 in the first half after a three-point basket by
Zach Stenglein (7 points), but the Yellowjackets closed the half on a 17-7 scoring run to up 35-28 after 20 minutes. UR hit 15 of 27 first-half shots (55.6%), while Nazareth made 10 of 28 (35.7%) with five three-pointers.
The UR lead ballooned to 18, 52-34, after the Yellowjackets outscored Nazareth 17-6 to open the second half. Nazareth fought back, first closing to within four, 62-58, following a basket by
Tyler Stenglein with 5:05 to go. Gabel then scored with 1:59 left to draw the Golden Flyers even closer at 64-61. Wittig drilled a three-pointer for UR with 1:39 left, but Gabel answered for Nazareth with his fourth three-pointer of the game on the ensuing possession to keep Nazareth within three points, 67-64.
UR stayed ahead by making foul shots down the stretch. Wittig went 6-for-6 from the line with four shots coming in the final 36 seconds. Michael Mangan and Patrick Benka made two each.
Tyler Stenglein was held without a field goal until he sank a three-pointer with 5:52 to go. He helped spearhead the Golden Flyers' comeback by scoring 10 of his points over the last six minutes.
Nazareth shooting was off the mark most of the game as the Golden Flyers went 21 for 58 overall (36.2%), while Rochester made 29 of 59 (49.2%).
Nazareth is off until Dec. 16-17 when the Golden Flyers travel to Florida to compete in the Maura Panaggio Tournament in Daytona. Nazareth plays Washington & Lee at 12 p.m. on Dec. 16.
