Box Score
The New York University women's basketball team dropped its second straight contest, falling 79-66 to New York City rival Baruch College at the Coles Sports Center on Saturday, December 4.
NYU (4-2) led by three at halftime but was outscored by 16 in the second half, as the three-time defending City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) champion Bearcats (5-2) shot a scorching 16-for-29 (.552) from the field in the period.
“It was a disappointing outcome trying to bounce back from a loss on Wednesday,” said head coach Stefano Trompeo. “The kids gave it everything they had, but it was a combination of a lack of ability to keep them out of the lane and turnovers that gave them easy baskets that was costly.”
Both teams traded baskets in the first half, as the score was tied eight times during the period. Bianca Storts carried the Violets, scoring 16 points – half of the team's total – on 6-of-7 shooting.
“She played tremendously,” said Trompeo of Storts. “We put the challenge out to our players to have a refuse-to-lose attitude, and that's in B.”
Storts' last field goal of the half gave NYU a two-point lead, 25-23, but nearly every time the Violets went ahead Baruch found a way to tie. However, NYU took the lead going into halftime, 32-29, when Makenzie Hirz broke the eighth and final tie of the period by draining a three-pointer with 1:03 remaining.
The Violets' lead got as high as five, 40-35, early in the second half after three straight points from Storts. But again the Bearcats hung tough, eventually tying the score at 44-all on a Monique Salmon free throw.
Minutes after the game's 11th tie, Baruch took the lead on a Folashade Akinde jumper, 56-55, with 7:03 to play, and never relinquished it. The Bearcats closed the game on a 19-7 run, turning a one-point lead into a 13-point victory.
“They execute very well,” noted Trompeo. “They did a great job of staying poised and sticking with their game plan.”
Storts finished with a game-high 21 points – just one off her career high – as well as a career-best eight rebounds. Hirz also pulled down eight boards and added nine points, while Chelsea Blake netted 11 points and doled out five assists.
Salmon led Baruch with an all-around effort of 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Akinde scored 19 points and corralled eight boards, while Megan Bouwens posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds and recorded the 1,000th point of her collegiate career.
The Violets travel to Manhattanville College on Wednesday night for their first road game of 2010-11. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm.
