Box Score
Despite putting four players in double digits, including John Mish's fifth double-double of the season, New York University dropped a 79-68 decision to the University of Rochester in University Athletic Association (UAA) men's basketball action
Mike Chmielowiec (12-for-17 FG, 5-for-8 3FG), the UAA's leading scorer, scored 24 of his 32 points in the second half, sparking several key spurts as the Yellowjackets (9-2, 2-1 UAA) shot 58.0% (29-for-50) en route to winning their fourth straight game. Mike Labanowski added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists, while William Serle scored all 13 of his points in the first half.
Mish led NYU (9-2, 0-2 UAA) with 16 points and 11 rebounds. D.J. Glavan finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Omar Meziab contributed 13 points and six assists. Richie Polan added 12 points for the Violets, who shot just 38.2% (21-for-55) from the field despite owning a 36-21 rebounding edge.
The second half proved an exercise in how well the Yellowjackets answered any NYU charge, a credit to Chmielowiec's sharpshooting. Rochester went ahead 50-41, but Glavan canned treys on consecutive trips downcourt to pull NYU within 50-47 with 13:36 remaining.
However, the Yellowjackets got a three-pointer and a three-point play from Chmielowiec, followed by a pair of baskets by Nate Novosel to take their largest lead of the game, 60-47, with 10:18 remaining.
NYU did reel off the next 10 points to get within 60-57 with 8:12 remaining after Mish converted a pair of close-range buckets, Glavan nailed another trey and Meziab went 3-for-3 at the charity stripe. But Chmielowiec scored 10 of his points during an ensuing 12-5 run that staked the Yellowjackets to a 72-62 advantage with 3:01 left.
"I thought we played very hard and I thought offensively we did a pretty good job," NYU head coach Joe Nesci said. "We had a few inside shots in the second half that didn't go for us. I thought our effort level was real good, but I thought we ran into a super-hot shooting team today. That was the difference."
Meanwhile, the first half saw NYU answer Rochester's surges and trail 35-33 at the break even though they owned a 21-10 edge on the glass. Part of this was because the Violets forced just two Rochester turnovers while giving the ball away eight times themselves, as the Yellowjackets outscored them 12-1 in points off turnovers. Another was the balanced scoring of Serle, Labanowski and Chmielowiec, who combined for 30 first-half points.
NYU did trail 25-18 in the opening stanza, but rebounded to take a 30-29 lead after a three-point play by Chip Borsi. But, the Yellowjackets scored six of the half's final nine points to reclaim the lead. Meziab produced 10 of his tallies during the early going, while Mish added eight points and six boards.
NYU will take the court again Tuesday, Jan. 13, when it hosts non-conference foe Wesleyan College at 7 p.m.
