ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Junior forward Dane McLoughlin (Westerville, Ohio/St. Charles Preparatory) recorded a double-double to lead four in double-figures, but the Case Western Reserve University men's basketball team dropped its University Athletic Association road opener by a tally of 69-66 to the University of Rochester on Friday night at the Louis Alexander Palestra.

The Spartans drop to to 9-4 overall and 1-1 in the UAA. The win moves the Yellowjackets to 7-6 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

McLoughlin recorded game highs of 17 points and 11 rebounds, while senior center David Thompson (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior) scored 16. Senior guards Julien Person (Houston, Texas/Second Baptist) and Tim Chung (Cypress, Calif./Los Alamitos) scored 13 and 11 points, respectively.

The Spartans started hot with Chung and McLoughlin each hitting a pair of three-pointers early in the game. Case led by as many as 14 with 2:42 remaining in the half, but had to settle for just a seven-point lead of 42-35 at halftime.

The tally of 42 was the highest first half total by the Spartans this season and McLoughlin's 14 points and five rebounds were the best of any player.

In the second half, Case twice extended its lead to nine points, but Rochester continued to hang around. The Spartans led 61-52 at the 9:52 mark, but the Yellowjackets began a 7-0 run that drew them within two.

Person hit a step-back three-pointer with just over six minutes left to end the run and give the Spartans a 64-59 lead. However, after four straight free throws and a Dylan Peretz tip in at the 3:37, the Yellowjackets grabbed their first lead since the early exchanges of the first half.

Thompson drove to the basket to reassert Case's lead at 66-65 at 2:13 before two free throws by Jared Seltzer gave Rochester a lead it would not relinquish.

Case had two attempts to tie the game in the final moments, but jumpers by Person and Chung fell short. The Spartans trailed by three with 2.7 seconds remainin but were unable to attempt a desperation shot when the inbounds pass was blocked.

Vernon and Seltzer led Rochester with 14 points apiece. The Yellowjackets outscored the Spartans, 35-4, in bench points.

The Spartans look to return to their winning ways when they take on Emory University on Sunday, January 19 at 12:00 p.m. in Atlanta.