In Saturday’s consolation of the Wendy’s College Classic tournament, the University of Rochester women’s basketball team defeated the St. John Fisher College Cardinals 78-54. The home-court victory moves the ‘Jackets record to 6-1, putting them on track for a stellar season.
Rochester was paced by All-American sophomore Al Leslie, who recorded 22 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and a steal. This marked Leslie’s fourth double-double of the season. For the second consecutive year, the forward was named to the All-Wendy’s Classic Team.
At this point in the season, Leslie leads Rochester in scoring, averaging nearly 15 points a game. On the court, the phenom will continue as a force to be reckoned with on the court and will certainly be one to watch as the season progresses.
Sophomore guard Lauren Deming, a dominant threat on the outside and in the paint, tallied an impressive 15 points (two from 3-point range), five rebounds (three of them offensive) and three assists. Together, the Leslie-Deming duo is a difficult one to stop for any team.
The ‘Jackets roster is stacked with a powerful presence of guards. Senior Kayla Kibling scored eight points and pulled down four rebounds for the ‘Jackets. Junior Sarah Kaminsky also made a significant contribution to the win, adding 10 points and, as usual, playing exemplary defense to keep the team on track for a win. Junior Brynn Lauer also had an impressive performance—four assists along with five points and seven rebounds.
The intelligence and poise displayed by these three athletes is remarkable.
Outside of the starting five, the ‘Jackets also scored 18 points from the bench, with contributions from sophomores Mary Kronenwetter, Jillian Silvestri, Lizzy Atkinson, Cassandra McCambridge, Vanessa Davis and senior Kelsey Hurley. Hurley also recorded two blocks.
St. John Fisher senior Mary-Kate Cusack led her team with 20 points, shooting 11-12 from the free-throw line. Junior Emily Piacentini had nine, and junior McKenzie Bezon seven. The Cardinals moved to 5-2 on the year and secured fourth place in the Wendy’s College Classic. Along with Leslie, Cusack earned a spot on the second All-Wendy’s Classic Team.
Rochester will look to pick up another win this Saturday at Ithaca College as they take on the Bombers at 4 p.m.
