Tournament MVP Laron Reed scored a team-high 24 points for the UW Yellowjackets (5-0). Reed hit 10 of 13 from the foul line, including five free throws in the final 3:57 as Superior held its lead.
Rochester led by seven at the half, 43-36, but the visitors chipped away and drew within one point three times in the first eight minutes of the second half. A layup by Seth Hauben gave Rochester a 58-53 lead with 9:49 left. UW went on a 12-3 run to take a 65-61 lead with 3:57 left. Reed scored four of the points – all from the line.
UR managed two free throws from Ryan Mee and one by Jon Onyiriuka. Rochester cut the lead to one, 65-64, on Joe Canty’s three-pointer from in front of the Rochester bench with 2:42 left. In the next minute, Reed made one free throw and Courtney Collins sank two others. Rochester never cut it below three.
Reed was joined on the all-tournament team by Floyd Nyemeck-Bayih (eight points, three assists) of UW-Superior, Hauben, Onyiriuka, Aaron Marshall of St. Lawrence, and Jon Youngmann of Clarkson.
Hauben led the Yellowjackets with 30 points and 18 rebounds. He tied the tournament record for rebounds in a game and in the tournament (29). Marshall tied the single-game rebounding record on Saturday and the tournament record on Sunday.
The loss snapped Rochester’s 34-game Palestra winning streak. The last home court loss occurred on Feb. 3, 2002 against Washington (MO), 65-63.
WIS.-SUPERIOR 72, ROCHESTER 67 WIS.-SUPERIOR (5-0) Laron Reed 6-14 10-13 24; Arione Farrar 3-5 5-7 11; Floyd Nyemeck-Bayih 3-6 0-1 8; Marc Rothschadl 3-15 0-0 8; Darrell Freeman 2-6 3-4 7; Leonard Cobb 3-6 0-0 6; John Hebert 2-3 0-0 6; Kevin Turner 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-56 20-27 72. ROCHESTER (4-1) Hauben, Seth 13-21 4-14 30; McAllister, Brendan 5-11 0-0 14; Onyiriuka, Jon 3-8 4-5 10; Mee, Ryan 1-7 4-4 7; Canty, Joe 1-2 0-0 3; Juron, Jeff 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 24-53 13-25 67. Wis.-Superior................. 36 36 - 72 Rochester..................... 43 24 - 67 3-point goals-Wis.-Superior 8-19 (Floyd Nyemeck-Bayih 2-4; John Hebert 2-2; Laron Reed 2-5; Marc Rothschadl 2-8), Rochester 6-22 (McAllister, Brendan 4-10; Canty, Joe 1-2; Mee, Ryan 1-7; Juron, Jeff 0-3). Fouled out--Wis.-Superior-Darrell Freeman; Leonard Cobb, Rochester-Onyiriuka, Jon. Rebounds-Wis.-Superior 33 (Darrell Freeman 8), Rochester 38 (Hauben, Seth 18). Assists-Wis.-Superior 11 (Floyd Nyemeck-Bayih 3; Laron Reed 3), Rochester 15 (Canty, Joe 4). Total fouls-Wis.-Superior 21, Rochester 22. A-250 All-Tournament Team: Aaron Marshall (SLU), Jon Youngmann (Clarkson), Jon Onyiriuka (UR), Floyd Nyemeck-Bayih (UW-Superior), Seth Hauben (UR) MVP: Laron Reed (UW-Sup.).