CHICAGO – Five players hit double figures, but the University of Rochester lost a high-scoring duel to the University of Chicago, 96-92, at the Ratner Athletic Center on Sunday afternoon.
John DiBartolomeo scored 22 points, including his 1,000
th career point, to lead Rochester. He added nine assists. He is the 26
th player to top 1,000 career points in 111 years and the second one to do it this month. Nate Novosel hit the four-figure mark against RIT on January 3. DiBartolomeo is the first man to do it in his junior year since Seth Hauben scored his 1,000
th point in the 2003-04 season.
Nate Vernon scored 20 points for Rochester. Novosel added 18 plus nine rebounds.
Rob Reid had 11 points, and
Tyler Seidman scored 10.
Chicago's Matt Johnson led all scorers with 36 points and added eight assists. Johnson broke the 1,000 point career barrier as well, becoming the 15
th man to do so. He had 49 points on Friday night as UC edged Emory, 103-102, on his buzzer beater. Tom Williams scored 13 for UC, Michael Sustarsic had 11, and Derrick Davis had 11.
Rochester is 11-6 overall, 2-5 in the University Athletic Association. Chicago is 11-7 overall, 4-3 in the UAA.
Three free throws by Johnson put Chicago up, 30-25, with eight minutes left in the first half. Rochester ran off an 8-0 burst – two single free throws by DiBartolomeo and treys from Vernon and Seidman – to take a 33-30 lead within three minutes. It eventually grew to five points twice, the last time on a layup by DiBartolomeo with 1:45 left. Johnson scored five points in 29 seconds to tie the score before Novosel and Davis swapped layups to leave the score knotted at 45-45 at the half.
Chicago got out to a nine point lead at the midpoint of the second half. Rochester nibbled, drawing within two points, 59-57, after a
Chris Dende trey and one of two from the line by Reid. UC stretched it to nine again, courtesy of a Johnson layup after a steal and six free throws (66-57, 10:26).
Two free throws by Novosel plus a DiBartolomeo layup after a steal deep in the Rochester end cut it to 85-80 with 2:32 left. It swung back out to nine in 35 seconds, then eventually stood at seven before one last Yellowjacket push.
Sustarsic's free throw gave UC aa 92-85 lead. DiBartolomeo made two free throws. The Yellowjackets stole the ball and Seidman missed a three-pointer. Chicago rebounded, drew a foul, but missed both free throws. DiBartolomeo made two free throws, getting it to 92-89. The Yellowjackets forced a jump ball to gain possession with 30 seconds left.
Vernon's lob for Novosel on the low right post caused a collision and the ball was tipped out of bounds. Officials gave possession to Chicago. Johnson made two free throws with :16 remaining (94-89) before Vernon canned a trey from left of the key (94-92) with 6.9 seconds left. Johnson sealed the win with two more free throws.
