The 24th-ranked Case Western Reserve University men's basketball team erased an 11-point second half deficit against New York University on Friday night, but ultimately succumbed to the Violets in a 77-70 loss at Horsburgh Gymnasium in Cleveland, Ohio.
The loss was the second-straight for the Spartans, who fell to 16-4 overall on the year and to 6-3 in University Athletic Association play. NYU improved to 11-9 overall with a 1-8 conference record.
Junior forward Cole Frilling scored 25 points in Friday's loss, shooting nine-of-22 overall, while adding seven rebounds and two blocks. Graduate student guard Mitch Prendergast added 11 points, and senior guard Robert Faller scored nine points with five rebounds, three assists and four steals.
The two teams exchanged runs in the first half, with the Violets opening the contest with seven-straight points over the first three minutes of the game, before the Spartans responded with 15-straight points of their own over the next three minutes, including nine during the stretch from Frilling. However, NYU scored 23 of the next 30 points in the game, going ahead by as many as eight during the quarter, 30-22 with 6:26 to play. A three by senior forward Ryan Newton helped the Spartans get back within three points, 33-30, with 4:33 left in the half, but the Violets took a five-point lead, 37-32, going into the halftime break.
CWRU opened the second half with six-straight points, taking a 38-37 lead on a jumper by Frilling with 16:45 to play. The teams exchanged threes on the next two possessions, but NYU was quickly able to pull away, taking a game-high 11-point lead, 56-45, with 11:57 to play. However, CWRU was able to close the gap over the next eight minutes and tied the score at 64-64 on a three by Faller with four minutes remaining in the game.
The Spartans could not retake the lead though. The Violets went back ahead by four, 69-65, with 1:32 left, before an and-one by Frilling cut the lead back to a point. After a missed free throw by NYU on the front end of a one-and-one gave the Spartans a chance to regain the lead on the next possession, CWRU could not convert any of their three tries after a pair of offensive rebounds. NYU followed with a pair of free throws, extending its lead to four, and two more free throws after a CWRU turnover with 30 seconds left made it a two-possession game. The Violets continued to hit their free throws down the stretch for the seven-point win.
CWRU finished the game shooting just 33.0% (22-of-66) from the floor, the team's worst mark of the season.
NYU was led by Bobby Hawkinson, who finished the game with 25 points and 19 rebounds.
The Spartans will look to bounce back on Sunday morning, when the team hosts Brandeis University at 11:00 a.m. inside Horsburgh Gymnasium.