PITTSBURGH, PA – The University of Rochester men's basketball team was defeated on the road by a 79-63 score by host Carnegie Mellon University in a University Athletic Association matchup on Friday evening at the Highmark Center.
 
A cold shooting spell in the second half doomed the Yellowjackets (11-12, 4-8 UAA), as URochester was 0-for-10 from 3-point range and shot just 29% from the floor over the final 20 minutes.
 
That performance, coupled with an over 50% showing from the host Tartans (11-11, 3-8 UAA), allowed Carnegie Mellon to rally from a modest 4-point UR lead at halftime to a 16-point CMU victory, the second-largest by the Tartans in the all-time series between the schools.
 
URochester was led by senior Tomiwa Adetosoye who had 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. First-year Jordan Owusu was the only other UR player to finish in double-figures, ending with 18 points, going 6-for-10 from the floor and 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Justin Odibo and Corvin Oprea each chipped in five points as the 'Jackets next highest scorers.
 
Carnegie Mellon's Nikola Dimitrijevic had a game-high 23 points in the win, adding six rebounds. Buckley DeJardin was 4-for-4 from 3-point range and finished with 18 points, while Nolan Casey added 13 points and 7 rebounds off the Tartan bench.
 
The host Tartans started out strong, jumping in front 8-3 over the opening five minutes. Three of the first four buckets by CMU were thrown in by Dimitrijevic inside, while Adetosoye opened the 'Jacket scoring with a 3-pointer.
 
Following a Casey jumper to built a 10-5 lead, Owusu hit back-to-back triples to jump the Yellowjackets in front by one after eight minutes of play.
 
CMU scored the next five points to regain a lead, but URochester then followed by going on an extended 16-5 run to take a 27-20 lead with 5:32 left in the half. That seven-point cushion was the Yellowjackets biggest lead of the contest.
 
Down the stretch in the half, Odibo and Oprea sank 3-pointers, and URochester went into the halftime break with a 33-29 advantage.
 
In the second period, Owusu scored on a jump shot to make it a six-point lead, but a strong CMU presence inside led to an 8-0 run. The surge was fueled by three more Dimitrijevic layups to push the Tartans back up by two, 37-35.
 
A DeJardin 3-pointer near the midway point of the half extended the Tartan margin to eight, leading off a seven-point burst that eventually saw the cushion reach 12 following two Evan Mirazimi free throws.
 
That stretch of game also saw the Yellowjackets go cold from the floor, making just one field goal over a nearly five-minute span.
 
URochester did get back within ten points following four straight points from Owusu with under six minutes to play, but that was as close as the visitors would get, with the Tartans putting it away with an 8-0 run shortly after.
 
Overall for the contest, Carnegie Mellon shot nearly 48% from the floor (30-63) compared to a 35% effort from the Yellowjackets (23-65). UR made seven three's to CMU's six, while the Tartans ended with a big rebound advantage, leading 47 to 34 on the glass.
 
The Yellowjackets next will play at Case Western Reserve University on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland before wrapping up the regular season the following Saturday at Emory University.