Hustle-plays lead to victory for UR men's team

The men’s basketball team has faced its share of obstacles this season. For this team, adversity fuels their success. On Friday, UR squared off against Washington University in St. Louis, with two of their best players injured. Junior Joe Canty was not in the lineup against Washington due to a broken finger on his shooting hand, and senior Brendan McAllister was unavailable due to a high-ankle sprain he suffered during practice.McAllister, however, was cleared to play after the X-rays on his right ankle came back negative for injuries.Even though the Yellowjackets’ lineup was rearranged, they came out on Friday and dropped their University Athletic Association rival in front of a packed Palestra crowd, 71-63.UR got out to a quick lead, going on a 12-4 run in the first five minutes of the game to set up a lead that they would eventually surrender. UR put together an impressive 34-26 halftime lead. The impressive part was that the Yellowjackets built the lead with hustle-plays and teamwork. Every player on the floor fought for loose balls and looked for open teammates. The turning point in the first half came from a missed shot. McAllister came off a screen and rimmed out a shot from beyond the three-point arc. Most players would have run back down the floor on defense. That’s not McAllister’s style – who played with pain the whole game. He rebounded his own shot, pump faked to get his defender in the air and then threw a no-look pass to his roommate, senior Seth Hauben, for an easy layup. The stat sheet showed that McAllister missed a three-point attempt and got an offensive rebound, but that play got his teammates fired up and the crowd on its feet.A few minutes later, senior Ryan Mee – playing in a knee brace supporting a torn anterior crucial ligament – sprinted after a loose ball and dove between two defenders to regain possession for the Yellowjackets.Plays like those can change the tone and momentum in close games. On Friday, every player who stepped on the floor made something happen. Whether it was diving for loose balls, tipping passes for layups or just sheer hustle, the Yellowjackets got it done.UR was led in scoring by freshman Jeff Juron with 21 points, tying his career high. The big man duo of Hauben and freshman Jon Onyiriuka combined for 25 points and 28 rebounds. Onyiriuka scored 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Hauben had 13 points and cleaned the glass for 15 rebounds.UR continued their impressive team play in a 64-52 victory over the University of Chicago on Sunday. UR put together a 14-4 run in the first eight minutes of the game, building a 12-point lead at the midpoint of the first half. Senior Gabe Perez sliced through the Maroon defense and found his open teammates with ease in the first half.Chicago doubled and even tripled Hauben in the post, limiting the big man to just nine shot attempts. Juron led the UR offense with 15 points and eight rebounds. Perez also scored in double figures with 13 points and six assists. The All-American Hauben moved up to fifth place on the UR career-scoring ranking, passing Jack Herlan. Hauben has 1,449 career points and ample time to ascend to become the all-time leading scorer in UR history. The Yellowjackets improved to 13-3 overall and 4-1 in the UAA. The men take on Case Western Reserve University and Emory University next weekend.The Yellowjackets return to the Palestra on Feb. 4, taking on Emory for the second time this season. Rovinsky can be reached at mrovinsky@campustimes.org.