Courtesy of UR Sports Information Department

Luckily, the couple didn’t hit any traffic on its way to the Palestra.

Thanks in large part to a career night by senior forward Nate Novosel, UR beat the Case Western Reserve University Spartans (8-7, 0-4 UAA) tonight, 86-68, in front of 1,300 in the Palestra, giving the Yellow Jackets (10-5, 1-3 UAA) their first conference win of the season.

Novosel shot 10-16 from the field en route to his game and season-high 23 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.

“We trusted our offense tonight,” Novosel said. “And it just happened to be where [junior point guard John DiBartolomeo] had some great dishes out to me in the short corner. [Case Western] was really just leaving me open, so I just took what was given to me.”

But Novosel was far from the only one who had a superb game. Perhaps the Kentucky native put it best when he said, “The game flowed for everyone and it felt really good.”

Four other players besides Novosel scored in double figures including senior guard/forward Chip Dende, who lived true to his name by “chipping” in 15 points on 5-8 shooting from three-point land.

DiBartolomeo was not far-off from his second career collegiate triple-double with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Junior center Rob Reid scored 14 points and senior center Marcus Williams added 10 points off the bench.

“Something with our offense that is pretty unique is that anyone can go off any night,” Dende said. “The past few games, our offense has been tight. Tonight, I got some open looks, my teammates found me, and I was lucky enough to knock them down.”

Freshman guard Julien Person had a big night for Case Western, scoring 18 points on four three pointers and 7-7 shooting from the field.

The ’Jackets went into halftime up 48-38, but at the 17:40 mark in the second half, the Spartans pulled within four on a trio of two-point jumpers, making the score 48-44.

UR responded with a 7-0 run and never looked back.

“A key to any team playing well is having confidence,” Dende said. “Winning this game gives us confidence more than anything.”

The confidence gained in tonight’s game could go a long way in helping UR defend its UAA title from a year ago. After losing three straight conference games, winning tonight’s match-up was a necessity.

“We weren’t expecting to come out slow in the conference,” Dende said. “But the way the league is shaping up there are so many good teams. Anyone can knock off anyone on any night. Hopefully this game can turn it around for us and we can keep it going.”

A full box score of the game can be seen on the UR athletic website here.

Mulberg covers UR men’s basketball for Campus Times’ official basketball blog, The Jackets’ Nest. Follow him on twitter at @nmulb.

As is the norm, UR will be relying heavily on junior guard John DiBartolomeo in tonight's game against Nazareth. Courtesy of UR Sports Information Department

For the second time in ten days, UR will face off against the Golden Flyers tonight at 8pm in the semi-finals of the Wendy’s College Classic at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

This time around, the #12-ranked ‘Jackets should know what to expect out of Nazareth and be much more prepared than they were ten days ago.

In the first meeting between the two squads, Nazareth went off, shooting a torrid 50% from the field (27-54) and an even more impressive 61.9% from the three-point line (13-21). Although UR did pretty well from the field in that game (46.3% on 25-54 shooting), the normally sharp-shooting ‘Jackets struggled from behind the arc, where they shot 33.3% (7-21) as a team.

I’m expecting a much better UR performance this go around against the Golden Flyers. The key for the ‘Jackets has to be to slow down Nazareth’s offense. If they allow the Golden Flyers to shoot over 60% from three, it will be extremely difficult for UR to come out on top.

Look for UR to pay especially close attention to Nazareth’s #32 Jason Corletta, a 6’2 senior guard out of Pittsford Sutherland High School, who shot 5-7 from three en route to 24 points on 11/22.

Aside from getting revenge on Nazareth and earning a Wendy’s Classic championship berth, UR has an added incentive for winning tonight’s match-up. If the ‘Jackets come out on top, they will get the winner of Hobart/Brockport, who are facing off at 6pm in the other semi-final contest on the campus of RIT.

Hobart’s head coach is none other than Mike Neer, UR’s former head coach. After a 34-year UR coaching career that saw him reach 563 wins and lead the ‘Jackets’ program to unprecedented success (he took the team to 12 NCAA Tournaments, four Final Fours, three National Championship appearances, and a win in the 1990 National Championship), Neer retired following the 2009-2010 season.

But the Washington and Lee University and UR Warner School of Education alum decided to return to the DIII ranks this season as Hobart’s head coach. Thus far, he has led the Statesmen to a 4-0 record.

So, if everything falls in to place, UR will get to face its former coach in the Wendy’s College Championship (and if everything does not work out that way, UR is slated to play the Statesmen in a regular season match-up on 12/10).

And a quick side note: I’ll be making the short trek to RIT tonight to cover the UR-Nazareth game, so feel free to check out my twitter feed. I’ll be posting updates and commentary throughout the contest. My twitter page can be accessed at the following link: http://twitter.com/#!/nmulb.

Mulberg covers UR men’s basketball for Campus Times’ official basketball blog, The Jackets’ Nest. Follow him on twitter at @nmulb.

Courtesy of UR Sports Information Department

The Wendy’s College Classic is an annual event which matches eight Rochester-area colleges in a single-elimination, bracket-format tournament. Here is the schedule for the #12-ranked UR men, courtesy of the UR Sports Information Department:

Wednesday
At Brockport
6 pm - Rochester vs. SUNY Geneseo
8 pm - Roberts Wesleyan vs. SUNY Brockport

At Nazareth
6 pm – St. John Fisher vs. Hobart
8 pm – Nazareth vs. RIT

Friday
Semifinals at RIT
6 pm – Hobart/St. John Fisher winner vs.Brockport/Roberts Wesleyan winner.
8 pm – Rochester/Geneseo winner vs. Nazareth/RIT winner.

Consolations at St. John Fisher
6 pm – Rochester/Geneseo loser vs. RIT/Nazareth loser
8 pm – Hobart/St. John Fisher loser vs. Brockport/Roberts loser

Saturday
at RIT
3 pm – Third Place – Semifinal losers
8 pm – Championship – Semifinal winners

At  Roberts Wesleyan
1 pm – Seventh Place – Consolation losers
3 pm – Fifth Place – Consolation winners

The Geneseo Blue Knights are currently 0-3 on the year and are led by 6’4 sophomore forward Jordan Jones, a local product out of nearby McQuaid Jesuit Prep in Rochester. Jones is averaging a whopping 19.7 points per game to go along with 4.3 rebounds per game.

If UR can effectively shut down Jones, the ‘Jackets should leave Brockport with an easy win, considering only one other player on the Knights’ roster averages double-digit points (6’6 freshman forward James McKenna: 12.7 points per game).

Mulberg covers UR men’s basketball for Campus Times’ official basketball blog, The Jackets’ Nest. Follow him on twitter at @nmulb.

With just under 30 seconds remaining and the Yellow Jackets down, 68-67, junior guard John DiBartolomeo drove to the basket looking to give UR the lead. His layup was off the mark but he was fouled on the play, sending the preseason All-American to the free throw strike.

John DiBartolomeo, Courtesy of UR Sports Information Department

DiBartolomeo drained the first of his free throws to tie the score, 68-68, but his second hit off the back of the rim.

UR senior sixth man and center Marcus “Slim” Williams swallowed the missed attempt and put it back for an easy two with 15 seconds left, giving UR a two-point lead they would not relinquish.

On Plattsburgh’s ensuing possession, the Cardinals failed to score on a layup, and, after securing an offensive rebound, a three-pointer.

After the failed three pointer, UR recovered possession of the ball. That’s when bedlam broke loose and UR’s student section erupted.

A Cardinal player was called for an “over-the-back” foul, sending UR, who was in the double bonus, to the free throw line.

Plattsburgh head coach Tom Curle disliked the call and let the refs know how he felt.

Curle was called for a double technical foul, was ejected from the game, and was forced to leave the Palestra’s exit doors just in front of the home team’s ear-piercing student section.

UR sealed the win by hitting four of six free throws, making the final score 74-68 and placing the ’Jackets in the championship of the Chuck Resler Tournament against Keystone College, slated to be played at 8pm tonight (Keystone won its semi-final match-up against Ursinus, 95-78.) Plattsburgh will take on Ursinus in the consolation game at 3pm.

The contest proved to be a thriller of two evenly matched teams. The first half ended with UR leading 36-35.

But the ’Jackets had countless opportunities to pull away and take the good for lead, yet they failed to do so.

The story of this game for UR was missed opportunities, missed opportunities that really all points to free throws.

The ’Jackets shot 60% (18-30) from the line, which nearly caused them to lose. I’m sure their free throw shooting was discussed in the locker room following the game, as one of the most common basketball adages is how converting free throw chances is the key to winning.

This axiom was especially true last night in a game where UR was in the bonus with 12 minutes left in the second half.

Expect the ’Jackets to rebound at the line in tonight’s game against Keystone: the 2010-2011 ’Jackets shot a crisp .757 (407-538) from the free throw line, so I’m confident this was an outlier of a game as far as UR’s free throw shooting goes.

With the win, the ’Jackets improve to 1-0, 0-0 UAA while Plattsburgh falls to 1-1, 0-0 SUNYAC.

Here is UR’s stat line from last night’s triumph:

-       DiBartolomeo: 22 points (7-10 from the field, 8-11 from the line), 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals

-       Sophomore guard/forward Nate Vernon: 14 points (5-5 from the field, 4-4 from the three-point line)

-       Senior forward Nate Novosel: 11 points

-       Senior guard/forward Chip Dende: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals

-       Williams: 9 points, 4 rebounds

-       Junior center Rob Reid: 7 points, 8 rebounds

Mulberg covers UR men’s basketball for Campus Times’ official basketball blog, The Jackets’ Nest. Follow him on twitter at @nmulb.

Since the men lost in the Sweet 16 to Middlebury last year, I’ve been anxiously awaiting this night and I couldn’t be more excited.

And here is another “since”: Since the Yellow Jackets’ first scrimmage two weekends ago against SUNY Oswego, I’ve been trampled with homework and exams (click here for a recap of the SUNY Oswego game).

So, in honor of the constant, never-ending amount of school work us students here at UR receive (I know I am not the only one loaded with assignments), here are five reasons why you should attend tonight’s game- in outline format.

2. UR has one of its highest preseason rankings in school history.

John DiBartolomeo, Courtesy of UR Sports Information Department

3. Featured in the game is the Johnny D Show.

4. UR has a player on its roster who was covered by ESPN: senior forward Nate Novosel.

Nate Novosel, Courtesy of UR Sports Information Department

(*Side note: for anyone who can’t attend, I’ll be broadcasting the game live for WRUR, UR’s student radio station. The broadcast can be heard online at www.thesting.wrur.org.)

Mulberg covers UR men’s basketball for Campus Times’ official basketball blog, The Jackets’ Nest. Follow him on twitter at @nmulb.

The ’Jackets, who are ranked 7^th nationally in the D3Hoops.com Men’s Top 25, fell to the #18 Lakers, but the preseason loss was not on my mind when I left the Palestra after the game. All I could think about was two things: last year’s magical season and the promise that 2011-2012 holds for the ’Jackets.

Who can forget all that went down last season? UR was forced to hire current head coach Luke Flockerzi in May 2010 after long-time head coach Mike Neer retired after 34-years on the job.

The coaching change initially sent the ’Jackets’ program into a tornado. Five returners quit and three key recruits decided not to enroll. On top of that, UR was picked seventh in the 2010-2011 UAA Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

But Flockerzi and his coaching staff (Ryan Mee, Jeff Juron and Adrian Smalls, all of whom are UR alumni) orchestrated one of the best and perhaps most unexpected seasons in UR basketball history, as the ’Jackets finished 22-6 (12-2 UAA) en route to winning the UAA Championship and advancing to the Sweet 16 of the Division III NCAA Basketball Tournament before losing to Middlebury.

But now, after an eight-month hiatus, basketball is back in Rochester. This year’s team has a chance to have as much success as the 1990 men’s team that won the National Championship. That’s right, expectations of a national championship come with the territory when you are ranked 7^th in the preseason Top 25.

Saturday’s exhibition gave a good taste of what to expect this season, namely a dynamic offense.

All-American junior point guard John DiBartolomeo (17.7 PPG, 5.7 APG) looked even more poised on the court than he did last year, if that is at all possible. The reigning UAA Player of the Year hit a number of impressive mid-range jumpers- his signature shot – and a beautiful reverse layup late in the second half.

I was equally impressed with the rest of the starting lineup: junior center Rob Reid (7.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG), sophomore forward Nate Vernon (9.7 PPG) and senior forwards Nate Novosel (13.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG) and Chris Dende (11.4 PPG). Those four and DiBartolomeo give UR several potent scoring threats and will make for one of the top starting lineups in the nation.

Two freshman guards, Tyler Seidman and Kevin Sheehy, did an admirable job holding down the point when DiBartolomeo was on the bench. Seidman hit a contested three pointer just before the end of the first half and Sheehy, who shot 4-4 from the free throw line, exemplified a burst of quickness comparable to that of DiBartolomeo’s. Both of the rookies should see significant playing time this year.

The biggest issue for the ’Jackets was their defense, which was inconsistent throughout the game. At times, the defense dominated. But on many occasions, UR failed to secure defensive rebounds, giving Oswego second chance scoring opportunities. Senior Marcus Williams, a 6’9 center, was the first man off the bench and did help UR on the defense boards.

The regular season will officially begin for UR in a little over a week (Home vs. Plattsburgh State on 11/18 at 8pm). We all saw what the ’Jackets could do last year when there was uncertainty. Now, let’s see what they can do when anything but uncertainty exists.

Mulberg covers UR basketball for Campus Times’ official basketball blog, The Jackets’ Nest. Follow him on twitter at @nmulb.

Senior forward Ellen Coleman scored both UR goals against Case, improving her seasonal goal tally to 10. We will have to wait a couple weeks to find out whether Coleman will three-peat as an All-American. Stay tuned.

Neither the men or women were awarded at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament, which means that the 2011 soccer season is officially over for both squads.

The men finished the season at 9-5-2, and the women ended with an 8-7-1 record.

Mulberg covers UR soccer for Campus Times’ official soccer blog, The Jackets’ Nest. Follow him on twitter at @nmulb.