NYU 92 MCLA 59

The New York University women's basketball team returned from its holiday break with a strong performance, defeating the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts 92-59 on Monday night, December 30, at the Coles Sports Center in Manhattan. With the win, the Violets improved to 8-0 on the season.

NYU controlled the contest from start to finish and dominated play down low. NYU outscored MCLA 66-16 in the paint.

NYU was able to showcase its depth as well, with all 13 players on the bench seeing at least five minutes of playing time. Lastly, the Violets had four players in double figures, leading to their eighth straight victory of the flawless season.

"This was our best offensive basketball performance of the season," said Head Coach Lauren Hall-Gregory. "That's saying a lot after 16 days off."

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Sophomore forward co-captain Megan Dawe led all scorers with a season-high 21 points.

- Sophomore guard Riley Wurtz hit the boards hard, notching her first double-double of the season with 12 rebounds and 10 points.

- Freshman Lindsey Oldshue (15 points) and junior guard co-captain Melissa Peng (12 points) were the other two Violets in double figures.

- Freshman guard Kaitlyn Read scored eight points with five rebounds and three steals, while fellow rookie guard Amy Harioka and senior forward Alexis Doherty each chipped in six points.

"Before this game I was probably the most nervous I've been, even more so then for the Tip-Off Tournament because they had 16 days away from us, 23 days without a game, and we are such a young team," said Hall-Gregory. "But, I was really impressed by the way they picked up right where we left off."

The Violets will be back in action this weekend when they host the NYU Holiday Classic on Friday and Saturday, January 3 and 4, at Coles. NYU will host Oswego State University for its Saturday game, with tip-off scheduled for 1:00 pm.