The New York University men's basketball team defeated Western New England University 86-82 in overtime in the Championship Game of the NYU Tip-Off Tournament on Sunday, November 24, at the Sportsplex in Manhattan.
Leading by two, 45-43, at halftime, the Violets found themselves trailing by 10, 69-59, with just over eight minutes to play.
But, NYU (3-3) then reeled off 14 straight points to retake the lead.
The Golden Bears (4-3) reclaimed the advantage by scoring the next five points, but
Miles Somerville's (Bowie, MD/Georgetown Prep) free throw with three seconds remaining sent the game to overtime at 74-74.
"Everyone contributed to our win today. The bench guys and the guys on the court," said Head Coach
Dagan Nelson. "It was a great team win the way we fought back from 10 points down to force overtime and then find a way to gut it out."
Western New England opened the extra session by scoring the first four points. But, consecutive three-pointers by
Nick Macarchuk (Alamo, CA/St. Thomas Moore Prep) and two free throws by
Ethan Feldman (New York, NY/The Salisbury School) gave the Violets a lead they would never relinquish.
Marcarchuk, who finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Feldman, who scored 18 points, were both named to the Tip-Off All-Tournament Team.
"I've been coaching for 25 years, and this is as proud of a team as I've ever been," Nelson admitted. "The resiliency we showed in getting this win was extraordinary."
Jimmy Martinelli (Glenview, IL/Glenbrook South), who double-doubled with game highs of 25 points and 11 rebounds, was named Tournament MVP
NYU's biggest lead in the game came in the first half as Macarchuk's three-pointer with 4:42 remaining gave the Violets a 37-29 advantage.
"We talk about building a championship program, whether it's a four-team or a 64-team tournament," Nelson explained. "I'm proud that we can call ourselves champions."
The Violets are back in action on Sunday, December 1, when they travel to Rosemont, PA, for a 2:00pm contest against Rosemont College.
