John DiBartolomeo '13 poured in 17 points and dished out a game-high eight assists as nationally ranked No. 11 University of Rochester defeated Hamilton College 82-60 in a non-conference game at Hamilton’s Margaret Bundy Scott Field House on Dec. 5.
Rochester (9-0 overall) was playing its first true road game this season. The Yellowjackets lead the all-time series with the Continentals, 69-41.
DiBartolomeo shot 6 of 8 from the field and added three steals. Nate Vernon '14 chipped in 17 points and a game-high five rebounds. DiBartolomeo and Vernon went a combined 8-for-8 at the free-throw line. Rob Reid '13 and Tyler Seidman '15 contributed eight points each, and Seidman stole three passes.
Matt Hart '16 led the Continentals with 16 points and was a perfect 5-for-5 on free throws. Greg Newton '14 added 11 points, and Peter Kazickas '15, Ken Click '13 and Jack Donnelly '16 had eight points each. Bradley Gifford '15 grabbed a team-high four boards and Click blocked two shots.
"Rochester is one of the elite teams in the country and showed that this evening," head coach Adam Stockwell said. "(John) DiBartolomeo is an All-American for a reason and he showed why tonight. He puts so much pressure on the defense that it makes it difficult to choose what to try to take away. They will be one of the best teams throughout this season. They are a tough match for anyone."
Rochester stormed out to an 18-2 advantage, led by a pair of 3-pointers by Kent Coyne '15, and five points from DiBartolomeo. The Continentals attempted to get back in the game with a 9-2 run that cut their deficit to 20-11 with 9:11 to go in the half. During the spurt, Hart scored all seven of his first half points, and Click added a layup.
The Yellowjackets answered right back with 11 straight points and led 31-11 with 4:26 left in the half. After Kazickas converted a 3-point play to get the Continentals within 20 at 38-18, Rochester scored the last seven points of the first half. Layups by Seidman and Reid and a 3-pointer by Kevin Sheehey '15 with six seconds left gave the Yellowjackets a 45-18 lead. Rochester shot 61.5 percent from the floor in the first half, while Hamilton shot 33.3 percent, including 0 of 6 from long range.
The teams played evenly to start the second half and Rochester led 59-32 with 13:34 remaining. But 3-pointers by Vernon, DiBartolomeo and Kyle Reardon '16 gave the visitors their largest lead of the night at 68-35 with 11:46 to go.
Hamilton (3-4) battled back with seven points in a row, but Rochester worked its lead back up to 31 points with 5:01 left. The Continentals ended the game on a 14-5 run and outscored the Yellowjackets in the second half, 42-37. Hamilton knocked down all 11 of its free throws in the final 20 minutes to help go a perfect 13-for-13 at the charity stripe on the night.
Rochester made more than half its shots from the field at 55.8 percent (29-52), including 11 of 22 from beyond the arc. As a team, the Yellowjackets racked up 21 assists on 29 baskets and outrebounded the Continentals, 33-23.
The Continentals travel to Vassar College for a non-conference meeting on Saturday, Dec. 8. Rochester heads back home for a game against Hobart College on Saturday.
