From NYU Athletics
The New York University women's basketball team closed out its regular-season on Saturday, February 27, against University Athletic Association (UAA) rival Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. The Violets defeated the Judges 70-56 behind a nice all-around performance from Kaitlyn Read.
The junior guard finished with game highs in points (19), assists (6) and steals (6) to lead NYU to its 18th victory of the season, while classmate and fellow guard Amy Harioka was the game's second-leading scorer at 17 points (5-of-10 from three-point range).
"Kaitlyn is a great stat-stuffer, but a playmaker at the same time. She creates opportunities for other players," said NYU Head Coach Lauren Hall-Gregory. "I don't think she's thinking about her stats. She's more just thinking about how she can help her team.
"Amy is our silent assassin. She's very composed and does a lot of the little things that we ask of her," continued Hall-Gregory. "When she's really confident shooting the ball there's a really good chance it's going in."
The Violets now finished the regular season and await postseason news with an overall record of 18-7, including a 7-7 mark in the UAA. The Judges fell to 12-13 overall and 5-9 in Association play.
"Regardless of the outcome, I told them before the game 'sports don't build character, they reveal it,'" Hall-Gergory said. "I was really proud of them because they stayed together and stayed positive."
The two squads played virtually even during the first half as NYU outscored Brandeis by one in each of the first two quarters (16-15 and 19-18) and took a 35-33 lead at the break.
NYU used a 22-point third quarter, while holding the Judges to 12 points, to take control of the game en route to the 14-point victory. During that quarter, the Violets enjoyed an 11-0 beginning with Megan Dawe's layup at 6:50. Riley Wurtz capped off the scoring spree with a three-pointer with 1:21 left.
"Before the game we just talked about having fun, playing loose and really enjoying the moment. I thought they really did that in the second half," added Hall-Gregory.
As a team, the Violets capitalized on the Judges' miscues all afternoon and finished with 12 total steals to Brandeis' five. NYU outscored the home team 24-13 in points off turnovers.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Dawe finished with 14 points and was 4-of-4 from the foul line.
- Wurtz chipped in 10 points, three assists and three steals.
- Niki Laskaris (team-high 15 points) and Maria Jackson (14 points, game-best 11 rebounds) led the Judges.
Regular-season play is now complete for the Violets. The squad now awaits its postseason fate. The NCAA Division III Tournament selection show will be on Monday afternoon, February 29.
"To end the regular season on a win and still have an opportunity to hear our name called during NCAA selections – most teams don't get that," Hall-Gregory said.