Jensen Proves Double-Double Trouble as Violets Push Past Old Westbury

Keith Jensen hit eight of his 10 free-throw attempts.

In addition to notching his first career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, Keith Jensen scored seven of his tallies in the final 3:32 as the New York University men's basketball team staved off SUNY Old Westbury, 66-59, Sunday afternoon at the Jerome S. Coles Sports Center.

Jensen scored 14 of his points in the second half and canned a pair of free throws with 3:32 remaining that gave the Violets (3-1) a 53-52 lead, and the eighth and final lead change of the second half. Overall, NYU went 23-for-29 (79.3%) at the charity stripe, including an 8-for-10 effort by Jensen.

Meanwhile, the senior's 10 rebounds represented a career high as the Violets claimed a 37-30 on the boards.

"It was really big for Keith because he had a rough first half offensively," NYU head coach Joe Nesci said. "Keith's relaxed, he's confident and he did the job for us on the boards."

Hakiem George and Jason Kondra each produced 15 points for the Panthers (1-1), while Lester Prosper contributed a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards.

After trailing 6-0 at the outset, Carl Yaffe (9 points) canned three-balls on consecutive possessions as the Violets used a 16-5 surge to take a 16-11 lead. Meanwhile, the NYU defense held the Panthers without a point for 6:59 and without a field goal for 8:05.

Eventually, Old Westbury scored the final six points of the half to take a 26-22 lead into the locker room. The Panthers limited NYU to 8-for-28 shooting (28.6%), owned a 16-10 on points in the paint and held an 8-2 edge on second-chance tallies during the opening half.

Both teams traded ties and leads throughout much of the second half until the final four minutes, where the Violets hit 13 of their 16 tries from the charity stripe.

"This was a great game for our guys because it was a game that hung in the balance to the very end," Nesci said. "We had to make plays to win."

NYU also received solid player from its centers as Richie Polan contributed 14 points and eight boards in 19 minutes, while Andy Stein had seven points, seven boards, three steals and two blocks in 21 minutes. The Violets shot 40.0% (18-for-45) after hitting at a 58.8% clip (10-for-17) in the second half.

NYU returns to action Saturday, Dec. 5, when it hosts the College of Mount Saint Vincent at 2 p.m. The Violets' annual alumni game will precede the contest at noon.