The New York University women's basketball team, ranked #22 in the nation by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), dropped a 74-59 decision to Emory University on Friday, January 17, at the Sportsplex in Manhattan.

The Eagles (11-2, 2-0), who are receiving votes in the WBCA Poll, remained undefeated in University Athletic Association (UAA) play while the Violets (11-2, 1-1) dropped their first UAA contest.

In a tight first half, Emory led by as many as six points in the second quarter. But, the Violets used a 14-6 run to grab a 28-26 lead at halftime.

Jenny Walker (Sausalito, CA/Redwood), who scored a season-high 21 points, hit a layup with 7:19 left in the third to give NYU its last lead, 35-34. Emory scored the next five points and went on to lead by seven later on in the third quarter. However, Walker's three-pointer brought the Violets back to within four, 49-45, heading into the fourth.

The Eagles went back up by eight. But, a 14-6 NYU run, capped by Brooklyn Shelton's (Botetourt, VA/Lord Botetourt) layup with 5:18 left in the game, evened things up at 59-59.

However, the Violets did not score again, missing all six of their shots during the final stretch as Emory finished the game on a 15-0 run. 

"We had to get stops at the end and we didn't," said Head Coach Meg Barber. "Emory is a veteran team. They're a phenomenal team. At that point of the game, it's about making one more play than the other team. And, in all of those moments tonight, Emory made all of those plays." 

Shelton finished with 12 points, Lauren Gast (St. Louis, MO/Villa Duchesne) contributed a team-high eight points and Annie Barrett (Cambridge, MA/Buckingham Browne & Nichols) finished with a game-best eight assists.  

"This was a breakout game for Jenny," Barber explained. "She has shown us this in practice, but hadn't really done it in a game yet. For her and Brooklyn as freshmen to come out on the UAA stage and perform like that is a really positive sign."

NYU was outscored 14-3 at the foul line and out-rebounded 41-31.

"It 's very early in the season. It's about learning and becoming a better team," Barber added. "That's why playing in the UAA is so much fun. Every night it's going to be a tough task, and a game like this will help us prepare for Sunday."  

The Violets host another UAA opponent, the University of Rochester, this Sunday, January 19, back at the Sportsplex. Tipoff is set for 2:00pm.