Kilmurray's Career Night Helps NYU Stave Off Emory for 59-55 Victory

Junior Finishes With 14 Points, 18 Boards, 6 Blocks as Violets Win First UAA Game

Chrissy Kilmurray recorded career bests in rebounding, blocked shots and minutes played.

Chrissy Kilmurray controlled the low post in finishing with 14 points, a career-high 18 rebounds and a personal-best six blocked shots as the New York University women's basketball team earned its first University Athletic Association (UAA) victory by overcoming Emory University, 59-55, Friday night at the Jerome S. Coles Sports Center in Manhattan.

Despite Kilmurray's career night, the Violets (9-6, 1-3 UAA) needed to stave off several surges by the Eagles (8-7, 1-3 UAA), who pulled within one point on four occasions down the stretch, the last of which came when Courtney Von Stein buried a three-pointer to pull her team within 56-55 with 7.4 seconds left.

On the ensuing inbounds play, Emory fouled Chelsea Blake, who hit her first free-throw attempt with 5.5 ticks remaining. After Blake next attempt caromed off the rim, Hailey Kimball (10 points) converted the rebound 3.5 seconds before the final buzzer to ensure an NYU victory.

"There were opportunities there where it would have been nice to have more of a cushion, but Emory fought hard," NYU head coach Stefano Trompeo said. "We did just enough to pull out a victory. Getting a win feels much better after a couple of losses."

After the Eagles scratched to within 51-50 on a Becca Feldman (team-high 10 points) trifecta with 3:09 remaining, the Violets got an inside bucket from Bianca Storts and two free throws from Grace Carmen to claim a 55-50 lead with 45.9 ticks still on the clock.

Both teams traded early bursts before the Violets asserted themselves late in the first half, using a 9-0 run while keeping the Eagles scoreless for a stretch of 6:22 en route to taking a 33-30 halftime lead. Kilmurray finished with the first half with nine points and nine rebounds for NYU, which owned a 52-39 rebounding advantage.

Although NYU got a career night from Kilmurray and solid performances from Grace Carmen (11 points) and Kimball, it shot just 33.3% (18-for-54). However, the Violets hit 18 of their 24 free-throw attempts. Carmen went 5-for-6, while Kilmurray (4-for-6) and Maggie Ely (4-for-4) each produced four makes at the foul line.

Von Stein and Elizabeth Brandt each netted eight tallies for the Eagles, who hit only 32.8% of their shots (21-for-64) and missed 10 of their 18 attempts from the charity stripe.

NYU will play the second part of its four-game homestand Sunday, Jan. 24, when it hosts the University of Rochester at 2 p.m. That contest will be preceded by the Violets' men's game against the Yellowjackets at noon.