The University of Rochester showcased its balance and depth in both games of the UR Chuck Resler Tournament and earned the tournament title on Saturday night, defeating Southern Virginia University 74-56 at the Louis Alexander Palestra.
 
Rochester moves to 3-0 with the win and earns its 22nd all-time Resler Tournament title in the 40th year of the event. It also was UR's first tournament title in its home event since the 2017-18 campaign.
 
The loss moves Southern Virginia to 1-2 on the year. In the earlier consolation game, SUNY New Paltz defeated TCNJ 62-54 to claim third place.
 
Rochester's leading scorer was Alexis Sestric with 12 points. Three other Yellowjackets, Hannah Lindemuth, Julianna Okoniewski and Haley Dumiak each scored ten points. Overall, 12 different players scored for Rochester, with eight eclipsing five points.
 
Sestric was named tournament MVP following her two games in which she scored 30 points, had eight rebounds and six assists. Lindemuth was also selected to the All-Tournament team following a 32-point total over two games
 
SVU's Savanna Christensen and Courtney McKrola also were selected to the all-tournament team and finished as the Knights' leading scorers in the championship game. Christensen had a game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds while McKrola had 10 points and six boards.
 
Joining those players from the consolation round were New Paltz's Maddie Gillis and TNCJ's Julia Setaro.
 
The entirety of the first quarter was played in three spurts of runs. Rochester stared out with a 10-2 lead, backed by strong inside play from Okoniewski who scored three baskets in the opening four minutes.
 
Following that, Southern Virginia scored nine straight points to edge ahead 11-10 for its first and only lead of the contest. UR responded by closing the quarter by scoring eight of the next ten points and led 18-13 after the first.
 
Midway through the second quarter, the Knights got back within two of Rochester following a 6-0 run, trailing 23-21, but the UR bench was able to fend off the visitors and stretched the lead back out to double-digits at halftime, leading 35-25.
 
Both Dumiak and Kelsey Stites each had a pair of buckets in a late 12-4 surge heading into intermission.
 
In the third, both teams struggled with ball control, combining for 17 turnovers. UR ended up winning the period 18-17 and went into the fourth leading 53-42.
 
Southern Virginia was hanging around at an arms reach throughout the first five minutes of the fourth, but a 9-0 stretch from the 4:30 mark over the next three minutes was the game-clincher for Rochester. Lindemuth started the run with a layup, Dumiak sank a trey, Lindemuth scored another bucket and Maure Leverone had a nice driving basket to put UR up 21 points in the closing minutes.
 
UR returns to the court on Tuesday, hosting SUNY Brockport in a non-conference matchup at the Palestra starting at 7 pm.