Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Aquinas men's basketball team suffered a tough loss, falling 69-67 to Rochester Christian University in a nail-biting finish. The two teams battled for the lead late in the game but the Saints were edged out by a last-second layup by the Warriors. 

 Aquinas 67, Rochester 69

Rochester University jumped out to a fast start, claiming a 9-2 advantage in the opening three minutes. The Saints responded with back-to-back three-pointers from Jadakiss Lewis and Menalito McGee, narrowing the gap to 11-8. However, the Warriors strung together a 10-0 run to stretch their lead to 21-8. Fired up, Aquinas stormed back with a 17-2 run of their own, fueled by three-pointers from Devon Boyd, Jacob Howard, and Tommy Gregwer. Free throws from Boyd and Kaleb Mitchelson added to the surge, giving the Saints their first lead of the night at 27-23. Aquinas held onto their momentum, closing the half with a narrow 33-32 edge.

The second half remained just as competitive, with both teams trading leads throughout. A pair of free throws and a three-pointer from Lewis gave the Saints a 40-36 lead early in the period. Rochester regained momentum with six straight points, taking a 47-46 advantage. The teams continued to battle, finding themselves tied at 62-62 as the clock ticked down. In the final moments, Mitchelson sank a clutch layup with seconds remaining, knotting the score at 67-67. However, Rochester dashed the Saints' hopes with a buzzer-beating layup to clinch the 69-67 victory.

By the Numbers:

• Caden Pokorzynski notched a double-double with 10 points and a team-high 13 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass

• Mitchelson contributed 12 points and three rebounds

• Pokorzynski and Boyd both shot 100% from the free throw line 

• Howard, Day, and Gregwer all shot 50% from behind the three-point line

Up Next
The Saints will be back on their home court at 7:00 p.m. on Dec. 5 to take on Central Michigan.