From NYU Athletics
The New York University women's basketball team won its 19th consecutive season opener, defeating visiting Stevens Institute of Technology 68-65 on Wednesday evening, November 15, at the Sportsplex in Manhattan.
Kaitlyn Read, who returned to action after missing most of last season with an injury, scored a game-high 30 points, including 18 in the pivotal third quarter, to lead the way for NYU. She also tied a career best with eight steals.
"Just an incredible performance from someone who missed so much time last season," said Head Coach Lauren Hall-Gregory. "She worked so hard to get back and it was great to see her do so well out there."
NYU (1-0) led by four points at halftime, 37-33, when Read put on a show. She opened the second-half scoring a with a three-pointer, a driving layup and another three as NYU established a 12-point lead. After the teams traded a pair of buckets, Read followed with another layup, three-pointer and short jumper to give NYU a game-high 15-point lead, 52-37.
"Not only is Kaitlyn a confident player," added Hall-Gregory. "But shes so competitive, as well. Our other players really fed off of her tonight."
Stevens (0-1) scored the next six points and pulled within nine. However, Read hit another three-ball and Kayla Patterson hit a layup as the Violets went up 59-45 before settling for a 59-47 lead after three quarters.
The Ducks, however, would not go away. They scored the first eight points of the final stanza before Read's free throw with 5:12 remaining ended NYU's scoreless streak. Then, Stevens managed to pull within one before Janean Cuffee's three-pointer with 3:24 gave the Violets some breathing room and Paterson's layup with 1:16 remaining re-opened a six-point lead, 65-59.
The Ducks' Megan Brown answered with a layup with just under a minute left, then Shaye McGoey hit a free throw for NYU with 35 ticks remaining. Anna Toke, who scored a team-high 16 points for Stevens, drove for a layup before Read made a free throw with 16 seconds left.
The Violets' four-point lead was cut in half when Megan Brown hit a layup with 12 ticks left and McGoey made another free throw one second later to give NYU a three-point lead.
Stevens' Sam Winter then missed a shot, and even though Patterson was fouled and could not convert either of her free throws with just over a second remaining, the Ducks could not get off another shot as the Violets held on to the victory.
"Today we showed that when we play well, we can be a very good team," explained Hall-Gregory. "There is plenty to clean up, however. We need to play that well for a full 40 minutes."
NET NOTES:
- Read and Patterson each collected a game-high eight rebounds, as did Toke. Patterson was NYU's only other double-digit scorer (10 points)
- Stevens' biggest lead of the game was five points, 18-13, late in the first quarter.
- Read moved up to eighth on the NYU career scoring list. The two-time First Team All-UAA honoree now has 1,275 points, passing Carrie Kaczmarski '93 (1,251 points) in the record book. Read's former teammate Megan Dawe '16, is seventh all-time with 1,413 career points.
- This is the third-straight year the Violets have knocked off the Ducks in both teams' season opener. Last season an unranked NYU team went to Hoboken, NJ, and defeated #24 Stevens 60-48.