The New York University women's basketball team faced Bowdoin College in a Second Round NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship contest on Saturday night, March 5, in Brunswick, NY. The Violets were defeated by the host Polar Bears 62-48.
NYU closed out its 2015-16 season with an overall record of 19-8, including a 7-7 mark in University Athletic Association (UAA) play. Bowdoin (22-6) advanced to the Sweet 16 and will play the University of Rochester on March 11.
"The NESCAC and the UAA are two of the top conferences in the country. It's a very physical game in both," said NYU Head Coach
Lauren Hall-Gregory. "Our non-conference schedule prepared us for the UAA, and the UAA prepared us for NCAA's. We just didn't execute well defensively down the stretch and you can't make those sorts of errors. We just couldn't hit that big shot and get over that hump."
The Violets jumped out to an 8-2 lead at 7:32 of the first quarter after
Kaitlyn Read and
Amy Harioka sank a pair of three-point baskets within 37 seconds of each other. Unfortunately, Bowdoin countered NYU's hot start with a 9-0 run of its own and the Violets trailed 11-10 at the end of the period.
The Polar Bears started the second quarter on an 8-0 run to take a nine-point lead at 19-10 with 8:39 left until halftime, and eventually found themselves ahead by 10 at 24-14 at the 5:44 mark. NYU closed the gap to five at 26-21 after Harioka drained another three with 3:11 remaining in the period – the closest the Violets would get for the remainder of the contest – but Bowdoin scored the next five, including a three-point buzzer-beater and led NYU 31-21 at the break.
After an even third, during which each squad scored 14 points, NYU was able to get as close as seven – 48-41 after Read knocked down a pair of free-throws with 6:12 left. Bowdoin, however, stretched its lead to 15, the largest of the game, with 2:39 remaining en route to the 14-point victory.
The completion of the contest marked the end of the careers for the four NYU seniors – Dawe,
Maya Wasowicz,
Riley Wurtz, and
Carolyn Hennecken. Dawe, Wasowicz and Wurtz had been members of the program since their freshman season in 2012-13. All three leave the program as captains, Wurtz during her senior season, while Dawe and Wasowicz held the titles since their sophomore campaigns.
"When I came on at NYU we had seven players – six freshmen – and things have really changed," continued Hall-Gregory. "We were 10-15 their freshman year and now we've been to the Round of 32 twice in a row and are known as a winning program. I'm really proud of the community and family they've created within NYU women's basketball. The legacy they leave here will last forever for me."
HIGHLIGHTS: - Read led NYU with a team-high 16 points. She also finished with nine rebounds and a game-high-tying three steals.
"Kaitlyn's such a competitor and a winner," Hall-Gregory said. "She wants that moment and is very used to hitting those big shots. She's not afraid of contact and isn't afraid to miss shots either."
- Harioka registered 11 points and had three takeaways, as well.
- Dawe closed out her career with nine points and a game-best 11 rebounds.
- Wurtz chipped in nine rebounds and a team-high six assists.
- Brady Shannon led the Polar Bears with a game-best 18 points.
