NYU to Face York in ECAC Semis Saturday at SUNY Old Westbury

NYU continues its ECAC championship quest Saturday vs. York College.

New York University will be facing a familiar foe Saturday in the 2010 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Metropolitan Championship when it tips off at 2:30 p.m. against York College (NY) at SUNY Old Westbury.

Seeded second in the eight-team tournament, the Violets (17-9) will oppose the third-seeded Cardinals (22-7), runners-up in the City University of New York Athletic Conference Tournament, for the third time in the past four ECAC Metro tournaments. NYU thwarted York, 84-80, in the 2009 first round before losing in the championship game. In 2008, the Cardinals dealt the Violets a 56-44 setback in the semifinals.

Overall, NYU is 9-5 against York, with the teams having split their last four meetings. However, York has won both matchups in the ECACs, including a 67-65 triumph in the first round of the 1999 bracket.

This is the fourth straight season NYU has advanced to the ECAC Metro semifinals, a streak that began with capturing the 2007 title. The Violets are making their 12th appearance in the ECAC Metro Tournament.

NYU earned its way into the ECAC final four with a 94-72 victory over seventh-seeded New Jersey City University on Wednesday night at the Jerome S. Coles Sports Center. Kyle Stockmal and Andy Stein scored career highs of 22 and 21 points, respectively, as five Violets reached double figures.

York made Saturday's matchup possible with an 87-58 triumph over #6 St. Joseph's College of Patchogue thanks to a 33-point performance by Nicholas Hamilton-Lopez. Marcel Esonwune added 13 points, 14 boards and three blocks for the Cardinals.