ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Cortland men's basketball team opened its 2021-22 season with a 79-53 loss at the University of Rochester in the opening round of the Yellowjackets' Chuck Resler Tournament. 
 
Cortland will face Houghton College in the third-place game Saturday at 1 p.m., while Rochester (2-0) will play Southern Virginia in the championship game at 6 p.m. 
 
Brian Amabilino Perez led a balanced Rochester offense with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Ross Gang and Matt Niemczura each scored 10 points, with Gang also dishing out six assists. Trent Noordsij added eight points and a team-high six rebounds. 
 
Austin Grunder (Trumansburg/Charles O. Dickerson) led Cortland with 12 points and nine rebounds. Eric Edwards (Binghamton) finished with seven points and five boards, Humberto Cabrera (Millbrook) made two 3-pointers and finished with six points and three assists, and three Red Dragons - Cam Williams (Rome/Rome Free Academy), AJ Lawton (Saratoga Springs) and Danny Linehan (Blauvelt/Tappan Zee) - scored five points apiece. 
 
Rochester went on an 11-0 run midway through the first half to extend an 18-12 lead to 29-12. The Yellowjackets pushed their lead to 42-19 at halftime and led by at least 18 points the entire second half. Rochester finished the night shooting 55 percent from the floor overall and 47 percent (7-of-15) from 3-point range. Cortland ended at 38 percent overall and 21 percent (5-for-24) from the arc.