Box Score
The New York University women's basketball team lost a heartbreaker in the opener of the New Year's Classic, falling 74-67 to Swarthmore College on Monday, January 3, at the Coles Sports Center in Manhattan.
The Violets (5-4) led the Garnet (7-2) by six, 62-56, with 5:22 to play before Swarthmore rattled off a 14-0 run to take an eight-point lead with 1:46 remaining. Kathryn Stockbower, a D3hoops.com All-American last season, powered the Garnet over the stretch, converting two big three-point plays to give Swarthmore a late lead it would not relinquish.
“I'm disappointed in our effort against her in the second half,” said head coach Stefano Trompeo of Stockbower, who was held scoreless in the first period but netted 22 points in the second. “We did an excellent job shutting her down in the first half – we held her to zero points and four turnovers. But we just conceded to her and let her go off in the second, and that was the difference.”
The early portion of the game was all NYU, as the squad scored the first seven points and led by as many as 11 in the first half. Chrissy Kilmurray, seeing her first action of the season after missing the first eight games, made an impact right away, draining a three-pointer from the top of the arc on her first shot. The Violets' leading rebounder and third leading scorer last year, Kilmurray finished with eight points and five rebounds in her 2010-11 debut.
“Obviously, she's going to help us a lot,” commented Trompeo. “Getting out there for the first time, she showed signs of production and also signs of fatigue after being out a full semester.”
Another senior captain, Bianca Storts, gave NYU its biggest lead, 27-16, with 3:22 left in the first period, but Madeline Ross sank back-to-back three-pointers for Swarthmore to spark a 10-0 run. The Violets entered halftime leading by two, 30-28.
After a back-and-forth second half that featured three ties, Chelsea Blake sparked NYU to its late lead. With the score tied 56-56, the senior fed Kilmurray for a layup, made a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup of her own, and then made another steal to help send Kelly Loughney to the line for two free throws.
But after that 6-0 spurt Swarthmore took over with its 14-0 run. NYU got as close as three, 70-67, after a pair of Storts free throws with 42.7 seconds left, but the Garnet made their free throws down the stretch and the Violets couldn't convert on offense.
Blake finished with 14 points, four steals and three assists, while Loughney recorded her first career double-double in her first career start with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Storts added 11 points and three steals.
Stockbower paced Swarthmore with 22 points and 18 boards. Nicole Rizzo scored 14 points, while Ceylan Bodur had 12 points and eight rebounds.
NYU returns to action in the final game of the New Year's Classic tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 pm when it takes on Connecticut College. Swarthmore will face the New York City College of Technology at 1:00 pm.
