From NYU Athletics
The New York University women's basketball team, ranked #4 in the nation by D3hoops.com and #5 by the USA Today, remained unbeaten this season with a 48-45 victory over Emory University in a University Athletic Association (UAA) game on Friday, January 15, at the Coles Sports Center in Manhattan.
The Violets (13-0, 2-0) struggled throughout, shooting only 28.6 percent from the field and committing 23 turnovers.
However, the Eagles (9-4, 0-2), had their own issues, shooting 36.5 percent from the floor and committing 18 turnovers of their own while not having one player reach double-digits in scoring.
"That was all guts and grit there," said NYU head Coach Lauren Hall-Gregory. "It was not particularly pretty on the offensive side, but I think it's a testament to these kids that they can figure out how to win in a variety of ways."
Despite having led by as many as nine points in the first quarter and by eight in the third, the Violets could not hold the advantage. The Eagles came all the way back and tied the score 43-43 on Shellie Kaniut's layup with two minutes to go in the game.
The Violets never scored another basket, but a pair of free throws by Megan Dawe broke the tie with 1:39 left. Riley Wurtz hit two more foul shots with 33 seconds left and Kaitlyn Read added the final one with 19 seconds to go. That gave NYU a 48-45 lead.
"We have kids that have been in this situations since they were freshmen," Hall-Gregory explained. "Megan and Riley have been learning how to hit big free throws and close out games for four years. Amy and Kaitlyn are also fantastic in those moments."
Emory still had a chance to tie the game, but Khadijah Sayyid's three-point attempt fell well short right before the final buzzer and NYU escaped with the victory.
Dawe led the Violets with 15 points, while adding six rebounds. Harioka finished with 14 points, including 3-of-6 from three-point range.
Read was the only other Violet to score in double-figures, posting a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Lindsey Oldshue, whose sister Ashley played for Emory, tied for game-high honors with a season-high 11 rebounds.
"It was kind of weird to play against my sister," Oldshue said. "I'm looking forward to playing her again in Atlanta and going at her."
- Read and Wurtz each added three assists and three steals, while Harioka also had three assists.
"When you beat your opponent by 25 on the boards, you just get more possessions," Hall-Gregory added. "Even though we weren't shooting as well, it still held them to less time with the ball."
- Sayyid, Sarah Arington and Dumebi Egbuna each had a team-high eight points for Emory.
"Emory is probably one of our toughest defensive challenges of the year," Oldshue added. "They've got a lot of quick guards who are looking for a dribble-drive offense. It says a lot about our defense to be able to keep up with them on and off the ball."