Box Score
In a back-and-forth battle between preseason University Athletic Association (UAA) favorites on Friday, January 14, in Cleveland, OH, Case Western Reserve University prevailed over the #25 New York University men's basketball, 80-76, team thanks to a five-point spurt in a matter of seconds.
With the score deadlocked at 64-64 – the 11th and final tie of the contest – and just over five minutes to play, Reid Anderson drained a three-pointer for the Spartans (6-7, 2-0). Tim Chung then stole the subsequent inbounds and put in a layup, putting Case up 69-64 in devastatingly fast fashion.
The Spartans' late lead eventually grew as high as eight before the Violets (11-2, 0-2) fought back, giving themselves a chance to tie in the final seconds. But with a three-point lead and just two ticks left, Case fouled D.J. Glavan, preventing NYU from geting off a potential tying three-pointer.
The loss gave the Violets a second heartbreaker in as UAA many games, as they dropped their first Association contest on a miraculous buzzer beater at Brandeis University.
“These are the types of battles we know we have to be ready for,” said head coach Joe Nesci of the second straight close defeat. “This is what the UAA is going to be all the way through, and we have to be ready.”
After the Spartans took an eight-point lead, 74-66, on Austin Fowler's jumper with 1:51 to play, the Violets did their share to make it such a battle. Richie Polan missed a three-pointer but followed his shot and put home the rebound with a nice lefty finish off the glass to spark a 5-0 spurt. Trailing 74-71 with 26.8 seconds left after two Polan makes at the free-throw line, NYU fouled, sending Tim Chung to the line. Chung sank both free throws, putting the Case lead back at five.
But Glavan responded with a quick layup, again cutting the deficit to three, this time with 19.5 seconds left. Chung returned to the line but missed the first of his two free throws, and Glavan again drove to the hoop. This time his layup attempt rattled out, but Andy Stein tapped in the rebound with his left to make it 77-75 with 5.0 ticks on the clock.
Fowler then went 1-of-2 at the charity stripe, giving the Violets a chance to tie with a three-pointer. But the Spartans fouled Glavan as he was coming up the court, sending the senior to the line needing to intentionally miss the second free throw. But after he hit the first, a lane violation was called on the Violets, giving Case the ball back with a two-point lead and just 2.1 seconds left. Chung returned to the line and hit both free throws, sealing a Spartan win.
The first half was equally as exciting, with neither team leading by more than four and the score being knotted eight times. In a clean period that featured just four total fouls (compared to 23 in the second half), the Violets had their way in the paint, as Glavan continually made his way to the basket and Stein put home easy buckets inside.
It was more of the same for the Violets, who entered halftime trailing by two, early in the second half, as they went on an 11-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game, 53-47, at the 14:11 mark. But the Spartans stormed right back and eventually tied the score at 64-apiece before the decisive five-point spurt.
Polan led NYU with his 10th double-double of the season, scoring a season-high-tying 24 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Yaffe added 16 points and a game-best six assists, while Glavan posted 14 points and six boards. Stein netted 10 points and doled out five assists.
Chung paced Case with a career-high 17 points, while Fowler (15 points), Eric Duerr (12 points on 5-of-6 shooting) and Tom Summers (10 points) also scored in double figures.
The Violets return to the court at UAA foe Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, on Sunday. Game time is set for noon.
