From NYU Athletics
The New York University women's basketball team, ranked #7 by USA Today and #8 by D3hoops.com, pulled out a 75-74 University Athletic Association (UAA) victory on Friday night, January 29, at the Jerome S. Coles Sports Center in Manhattan.
After leading by as many as 17 points in the second half, the Violets (16-1, 5-1) let the entire advantage slip away. They fell behind the Tartans (13-4, 2-4) when Jackie Hudepohl's layup with 1:37 to go gave Carnegie Mellon a 73-72 lead.
However, NYU's Maya Wasowicz, who scored a career-high-tying 17 points, hit a layup and was fouled going to the basket with 1:10 remaining. She proceeded to convert on the old fashioned three-point play to give the Violets a 75-73 lead.
"Maya has a lot of confidence and she's willing to take those big shots," said NYU Head Coach Lauren-Hall Gregory. "She obviously made a big play at the end. She's not afraid to fail."
With less than one second remaining, Hudepohl was fouled by Mikaela Pyatt. After she made the front end of her two foul shots, Hall-Gregory called a timeout. Hudepohl then returned to the line and missed the second shot.
Kaitlyn Read grabbed her team-best eighth rebound as the clock expired.
"I think Carnegie is the best offensive team in our conference in terms of just the punch that they pack and their ability to put points on the board," said Hall-Gregory. "And, when you let down, they can score 10 points in two minutes, and that's what they did."
The first half was virtually all Violets until the 5:15 mark in the second quarter. NYU led 34-19 having just closed out a 15-5 run. Carnegie Mellon, however, closed out the half on a 14-6 run of its own. The Violets went into halftime leading 40-33.
Led by five points from Read, who sat most of the first half due to foul trouble, NYU jumped back out to a 17-point lead – its largest of the contest – with 7:43 left in the third. From that point, the Tartans closed the gap with a 12-0 run, including six points from Jenn Mayberger.
Eventually, Carnegie Mellon took its first lead since the first quarter on on Hudepohl's layup.
"We're always in attack mode. I just happened to be the one with the ball at the end," said Wasowicz. "We just really want to win games. So, whoever the open player is with the ball, shoots the ball."
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Amy Harioka was key for the Violets. The junior guard was 4-of-8 from long range and finished with a career-high-tying and game-best 18 points.
- Read finished with 17 points.
- Megan Dawe added 10 points and four rebounds.
- NYU held the offensive advantage under the basket and outscored the Tartans 34-22 in the paint. Additionally, due to foul trouble, the Violets' bench outscored Carnegie Mellon's 26-7, led by Wasowicz.
- Hudepohl and Lisa Murphy led the Tartans with 16 points apiece. Murphy also pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds.