Box Score

Chelsea Blake's clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch helped the New York University women's basketball team hold off Emory University 81-76 on Sunday, February 6, at the Woodruff PE Center in Atlanta, GA.

 

Blake went to the line shooting one-and-one three times in the final 25 seconds with the Violets (11-9, 5-4) leading the Eagles (9-11, 2-7) by three. All three times, the senior sank both free throws, helping NYU seal a big win and take sole possession of fourth place in the University Athletic Association (UAA) behind three nationally ranked teams.

 

“Chelsea did what you expect a senior captain to do with the game on the line,” said head coach Stefano Trompeo. “Twice now this season she's focused and bore down for us like that at the end of the game.”

 

Blake was one of three Violets that came through with their biggest games of the season. She poured in a season-high 20 points, 14 of which came in the second half, and doled out seven assists without a turnover. Kelly Loughney posted a double-double with a career-high 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Chrissy Kilmurray netted a season-best 15 points.

 

Loughney and Kilmurray, the Violets' top threats in the post, combined to go 15-for-19 from the field.

 

“I challenged our interior players to be tougher, and clearly they stepped up today,” said Trompeo of Loughney and Kilmurray. “They both competed a lot harder and grew today, and they're a big reason why we got a win.”

 

NYU looked to be on its way to a double-digit win after entering halftime up seven and building a 12-point lead at the 15:54 mark of the second half. The Eagles went on a 9-0 run to pull to within three, but the Violets went back up 12 with 7:40 to play after a Kilmurray three-point play.

 

But trailing by 10, 73-63, with 5:38 left, Emory scored the next seven points to again cut its deficit down to three. Loughney stopped the run with a jumper, but Courtney Von Stein came right back and hit a layup for the Eagles, again making it a three-point game with 2:02 left.

 

After that, however, Emory missed two potential game-tying threes as well as a layup attempt that was blocked by Kilmurray. NYU also went cold from the field, but with the Eagles forced to foul, Blake took care of business at the free-throw line to lift the Violets to victory.

 

Maggie Ely and Bianca Storts joined Blake, Loughney and Kilmurray in double figures as NYU shot a season-high 51.9% from the field. Ely netted 14 points and added seven rebounds, while Storts scored 11 points.

                                                                                                                               

Misha Jackson led Emory with 17 points and nine rebounds. Hannah Lilly added 16, while Savannah Morgan had 15 points and five assists.

 

The Violets return to the hardwood on Friday when they host Case Western Reserve University at Coles. Tip-off is at 6:00 pm.