This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Rochester chapter.
UR is #1!
Our men’s basketball team has earned the number one spot in the D3hoops.com
national poll, following a win over #19 Brandeis, 69-65. The men rallied to pull out the
win, after sophomore Kevin Sheehy made a three-pointer to give Rochester the lead with
1:55 remaining. Senior John DiBartolomeo made four free throws in the final 11 seconds
to secure the victory. UR received 23 first-place votes, while second-ranked St. Thomas
(Minnesota) received two. This is the first time in five years that Rochester has been
awarded a number one ranking.
DiBartolomeo averages 24.4 points per game and 6.1 assists per game, and has
received his fourth straight UAA Athlete of the Week honors. Junior Nate Vernon
averages 12.1 points per game, and sophomore Tyler Sankes shoots 62.6% from the
floor, averaging 9.1 points per game. The impressive squad has a ten-man rotation that
has generated an 18-0 record; Rochester’s best start since 2003-04.
The team is headed to NYU and Brandeis this weekend, in what is called
Turnaround Week in the UAA. All teams in the conference play the teams they just
faced the previous weekend, but at the opposite court. Rochester is away for three out of
the next four weekends, vying to keep the top spot in the UAA and in the nation. The
squad will be home at the Palestra only two more times during regular season play:
February 15th at 8pm against Carnegie Mellon, and on February 17th at 12pm against
Case Western Reserve. Good luck to our ‘Jackets and Meliora!