ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Senior Kenny Small (Stratford, Conn./Stratford) scored a game-high 25 points and the Brandeis University men's basketball team shot a season-high 63 percent from the floor (35-56), including 61 percent from beyond the arc (11-18), as the Judges defeated the host University of Rochester Yellowjackets, 87-70, in a University Athletic Association contest in the Palestra. With the win, Brandeis improves to 18-5, 8-4 in the UAA, and complete just their second-ever season sweep of the Yellowjackets and first since 1994-95. Rochester loses its fifth-straight contest to fall to 13-10, 4-8 UAA.
Small connected on 10-of-15 from the floor, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, for his 25 points. It marked the sixth 20-point game of the season for Small, who became the eighth player in Brandeis history to record 100 career 3-pointers with his fourth of the contest.
The Judges put three other players in double figures. Sophomore guard Vytas Kriskus (Kvedarna, Lithuania/Holderness School) connected for 17 points in 29 minutes off the bench, hitting 7-of-10 overall and 3-of-6 from downtown. Senior Terrell Hollins (Springfield, Mass./Longmeadow) had 16 points and tied for game-high honors with eight rebounds and five assists, while classmate Andre Roberson (Springfield, Mass./Wilbraham & Monson) had 11 points, moving to with 30 of 1,000 for his career. He also matched Hollins with five assists. Leading by just two points at the half, 42-40, the Judges outscored UR, 45-30, in the second to earn the victory going away.
Rochester was paced by rookie John DiBartolomeo (Westport, Conn./Staples), who had 19 points as he hit 5-of-11 from the floor, 3-of-7 from beyond the arc and 6-of-6 from the line. He also tied for game-high honors with five assists and blocked two shots. Sophomore Bill Serle (New Smyrna Beach, Fla./Father Lopez) came off the bench with a hot-shooting night to finish with 18 points. He hit 6-of-7, 3-of-4 from deep and from the line. Sophomore Nate Novosel (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Catholic) matched Hollins with eight rebounds. The Yellowjackets shot nearly as hot as the Judges in the first half at a 54 percent clip (15-28), but connected on just 7-of-20 in the second to finish at 46 percent (22-48).
Brandeis trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, and were down, 22-14, with 10:30 left before the break after Serle hit 1-of-2 from the line. At that point, the Judges scored 14 of the game's next 16 points, with Hollins scoring six points in the run and Kriskus adding four. A Hollins steal and lay-up put the Judges ahead, 28-24, with just under seven minutes remaining, but UR answered with a 9-4 string that gave them the lead back at 33-32 on a DiBartolomeo trifecta. A 10-2 streak by the Judges gave them a 42-36 lead on a Kriskus jumper with 1:36 before the break, but two Serle free throws and a late Novosel put-back cut the lead to 42-40 headed into the intermission.
UR senior Colin Cubit (Mercersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Acad.) opened the second half with a trifecta, but Andre Roberson answered with a bomb of his own, and the Judges never trailed again. Rochester cut the lead to three at 60-57 with 11:16 on the clock, but Brandeis hit four of their next five buckets from beyond the arc. That was part of a 14-3 run that extended the lead to 74-60 with 7:21 left and the Judges kept the lead in double figures the rest of the way.
Brandeis will look for their 19th win of the season Sunday at noon at Emory University in an attempt to avenge one of their five losses on the season.