Ninth-ranked Rochester (Mich.) rallied from a six-point halftime deficit to defeat Lourdes 75-63 on Tuesday afternoon at the O'Rena on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Mich.
 
"I'm proud of the way we competed during the non-conference portion of our schedule," head coach Josh Gibson said afterwards.  "The schedule we played was as tough as anyone in the country and is the type of slate normally reserved for a team of upperclassmen who want to be challenged, not a whole new team of players learning a new system.  We were given an even tougher task playing all but one of the games away from home as well.  So, I'm glad we can put this portion of the season behind us."
 
Lourdes led by as many as nine points late in the first half, but a 20-2 run by the Warriors spanning both stanzas put the hosts in front for good.  The Gray Wolves held a 34-28 lead at the break, but Rochester came out the second half scoring the first nine points, taking the lead with 17:18 to play.
 
After Anthony Swanigan (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike H.S.) cut the Lourdes deficit to one, the Warriors answered with eight more points to push the lead to nine.  The Gray Wolves were able to close to within four, 49-45, with just under 12 minutes to play, but Rochester used another late 7-0 run to pull away. 
 
Rochester shot 59.4% from the floor in the second half and committed just one turnover over the final 20 minutes.
 
Lourdes started the game quickly, building a 10-3 lead five minutes into the contest.  After the Warriors cut the deficit to two, the Gray Wolves answered with seven unanswered points to take a 17-8 lead midway through the opening stanza.  Rochester battled back, pulling within two three more times in the opening period, but each time Lourdes had an answer, and after a three-pointer by Evan Vasquez (Delta, Ohio/Delta H.S.), the Gray Wolves regained a nine-point lead, 34-25, in the closing minute of the half.
 
Swanigan led Lourdes with 17 points and 13 rebounds for his first double-double of the season, making 8-of-12 shots from the floor as the Gray Wolves connected at a 51% clip from the field for the contest.  Najeeb Johnson (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights H.S.) added 15 points while Desmond Frazier (Ocala, Fla./Dunellon H.S.) just missed double figures, finishing with nine more.
 
Angelo Griffis led Rochester (16-1) with 26 points and 11 rebounds while Jaylen Larry also had a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards.  Justin Nafso added 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the Warriors.
 
"We can focus on WHAC play from here on out," Gibson added.  "We will take a few days off for Christmas, but when we return, I fully expect us to be a team that peaks late in the season and makes a run in January and February."
 
Lourdes (2-13) will have 15 days off from game action before returning to the court on Jan. 4 when the Gray Wolves travel to Lima, Ohio to face 25^th-ranked Northwestern Ohio.  Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at Racer Gymnasium.