The New York University men's basketball team was defeated by the University of Rochester 76-62 in a University Athletic Association (UAA) game on Sunday, January 19, at the Sportsplex in Manhattan.

The Yellowjackets (10-4, 1-2) scored the first seven points of the game before Ethan Feldman (New York, NY/The Salisbury School) put NYU (7-7, 0-3) on the scoreboard with a three-pointer.

After Rochester increased its lead to eight points, 21-13, Riley Demps (New Orleans, LA/Isidore Newman) single-handedly lifted the Violets into a tie by scoring the next eight points, connecting on a three-pointer, a layup and three free throws during that stretch.

NYU took its first lead of the game, 28-27, on a pair of Cade Hoppe (El Dorado Hills, CA/Oak Ridge) free throws with 3:55 remaining in the half. Nick Macarchuk's (Alamo, CA/St. Thomas Moore Prep) short jumper with 1:17 left gave NYU its biggest lead, 35-31, and the Violets went into the locker room ahead 35-34.

NYU still led 43-41 when Rochester went on a 7-0 run to take the lead for good. 

Still ahead by one at 54-53, Rochester scored the next nine points, then increased its lead to a game-high 16 points, 73-57.

NYU never got closer than 11 the rest of the way.

"They had a big run and we didn't answer it," said Head Coach Dagan Nelson. "It's the first time all year we didn't have a response. It was also disappointing that we couldn't get into the bonus in the first half. We went to the line 12 times in the first half, but only once in the second."

Hoppe led NYU with a game-high 19 points. Demps finished with a career-high 10 points. Feldman and Miles Somerville (Bowie, MD/Georgetown Prep) also had 10.

Jimmy Martinelli (Glenview, IL/Glenbrook South) collected a team-high eight rebounds.

Ryan Algier led four Yellowjacket players in double digits with 18 points.

"In this league when you give the other team 11 extra possessions, it's hard to win," Nelson added.

NYU finished with 19 turnovers compared to only eight for Rochester.
 
The Violets hit the road next weekend for their annual Midwest swing. They will play at the University of Chicago on Friday, January 24, at 8pm (central), and at Washington University in St. Louis on Sunday the 26th at noon (central time).