WARRIORS OVERCOME PHYSICAL TEST AGAINST SIENA HEIGHTS

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. - It was a grueling two halves of basketball for the Warriors (11-2, 6-1) on Wednesday's return to conference play, but Rochester was able to earn a 66-63 win against the Siena Heights Saints (5-8, 2-5) in a highly physical contest.

After a rough first half shooting the basketball, Rochester got some great shot-making from guards Anthony Cukaj and Gunner Walters that resulted in 27 points to out-match the scoring prowess of the Saints' Delano Williams, who scored 21 on his own to nearly propel the Saints to victory.

THE RUNDOWN

FIRST HALF

• The Saints started out with plenty of energy, which gave the Warriors trouble on the offensive end. Despite running their sets well, the Warriors couldn't find many looks due to turnovers that resulted in baskets for the Saints on the other end.
• Threes just weren't falling for Rochester, and the Saints climbed out to an eight-point advantage behind some tough baskets inside. Both teams played highly scrappy, with offensive fouls being drawn throughout the game
• Walters secured some needed points by getting a steal and drawing a foul, but another layup by Siena Heights extended the advantage to nine by the halftime buzzer

SECOND HALF

• The physicality only grew from the first half, with both teams battling like heavyweights. Walters and forward Brandon Michrina got things started with a 5-0 run, and a three by forward Brett White helped the Warriors begin to chip into the lead
• Michrina would get a tough up-and-under layup to fall to bring the deficit to five, and White scored a transition layup to get the arena rocking. After a three by the Saints' Williams got the lead back out to nine, Cukaj gave the Warriors a much-needed answer with back-to-back threes to swiftly bring the Warriors within three
• Walters showed everyone why he's contending for a First Team All-Conference nod in the next few minutes, hitting a tough jumper before finding White for a lead-taking three with six minutes to go. Walters got the crowd jumping with a great move to get a layup inside, and center Stavros Polatoglou and Michrina connected for a three to give Rochester a two-possession lead
• A six-point lead was short-lived when the Saints went on a 6-0 run to tie the game with two minutes left, but a timely bucket from guard Brody Parker helped Rochester stay ahead. Walter and Cukaj hit important shots in the final two minutes to help Rochester secure the win

POSTGAME PRESSER

Head Coach Klint Pleasant had this to say on the win:

"When you don't play well and run into a buzz saw, like a hungry SHU, and find a way to win, that's always a real blessing. We just shot so poorly, and we missed James Fisher.

But credit SHU as well. You can't take a night off in this league, and good teams don't take nights off anyway."

STAT OF THE GAME

The Warriors forced 17 turnovers to their nine and outscored the Saints 15-4 in transition to help secure an edge.

UP NEXT

Despite the win, Rochester will need to shore up the shooting ahead of playing 2023 National Champion Runner-Up Indiana Tech at the Schaefer Center on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Hussein Murray - RU Athletic Communications

Featured Image: Hanna Swanson - RU Athletics