Box Score

The New York University women's basketball team suffered its second straight defeat against an NCAA regular, falling 62-50 at Baruch College on Saturday, December 3, at ARC Arena in Manhattan.
 
The Violets (4-2) held the Bearcats (5-2) to just 21 first-half points on 25% shooting (7-28), entering the break leading 25-21. But Baruch, which has made four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, proved too much for NYU in the second half, using a full-court press to create turnovers and score easy buckets.
 
“The difference in the second half was that they started turning us over with their press,” said Violet head coach Stefano Trompeo. “They created easy layups and built momentum early in the second half, and that energy shift stayed with them. Our inability to manage the pressure took us out of what we wanted to do, and I give Baruch a lot of credit for taking advantage.”
 
Late in the first half, NYU used a 10-2 run to build a 10-point lead, going up 21-11 with 6:14 left in the period on a Makenzie Hirz three-point play.
 
The lead was again 10 at 25-15 following a pair of Melissa Peng free throws. But, Baruch scored the last six points of the half to cut the deficit to four at 25-21.
 
The Bearcats' press helped them force three ties early in the second half and then a big run beginning with 10:52 to play. Baruch netted nine straight points, turning a 38-36 lead into a 47-36 advantage following back-to-back makes by Kiara Johnson.
 
From there, NYU got no closer than eight as the Bearcats' lead swelled to as much as 14.
 
“We played better once we were able to manage the pressure more, but they built a nice cushion,” commented Trompeo.
 
Cara Bonito led the Violets with 12 points, all of which came in the second half. Diana Leondis netted a career-high 11 points, while Hirz narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Shelby Coon also corralled 13 boards.
 
Johnson led all scorers with a career-high 17 points, going 5-7 from both the field and the line. Jessica Duleba recorded 14 points and four assists, while Iyana Abrams tallied 10 points, six rebounds and four steals.
 
NYU returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 7, when it hosts Manhattanville College at the Coles Sports Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm.