The New York University Women's Basketball Team improved to 4-0 on the young season with a 68-54 victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in the NYU Tip-Off Classic on Sunday, November 21, at the Brooklyn Athletic Facility.
The Violets (4-0) used a dominant second quarter to pull away from the Athenas (2-2).
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps scored the first six points of the game, but NYU took its first lead, 13-11, on
Belle Pellecchia's (Randolph, NJ/Rutgers Prepatory) layup with 3:10 left in the first quarter.
The Violets led 17-15 at the break, but the Athenas went back ahead by three early in the second quarter.
The teams were knotted at 24-24 when NYU scored the next 10 points to jump-start a 16-1 run for a 15-point lead, 40-25.
"We are relentless in the way we run the floor and our defense really improved in the second quarter," explained Head Coach
Meg Barber. "We were getting stops and that opened up our transition game offensively."
The Violets led 40-27 at halftime.
NYU's barrage continued into the second half.
Erica Miller's (Alamo, CA/Carondelet) three-pointer gave the Violets a game-high 23-point lead, 53-30, with 3:50 left in the third quarter. The Athenas pulled to within 16, but still trailed by 19, 56-39, at the end of the quarter.
Nothing much changed in the final quarter, as NYU led by at least 14 the rest of the way.
"Anytime you play back-to-back games like this you need grittiness and toughness," Barber added. "We played really hard and were able to sustain it for 40 minutes."
Jenny Walker (Sausalito, CA/Redwood) and
Brooklyn Shelton (Botetourt, VA/Lord Botetourt) each scored 13 points for the Violets, while Pellecchia added 12 and a game-high five assists.
Natalie Bruns (St. Louis, MO/Kirkwood) led the team with eight rebounds.
Three Violets were named to the All-Classic Team, with Pellecchia earning Most Valuable Player honors. The other NYU players chosen were Walker and Miller. Flora Durgerian and Austyn Masuno of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps were also selected along with Bridgewater State's Arielle Cleveland.
"I thought today was our first real test this season," Walker said. "We played a team that's probably going to wind up in the top-25, and to see us play like this is really exciting."
The Violets return to action on Tuesday, November 23, when they host Vassar College at the Brooklyn Athletic Facility. Tip-off is set for 6:00pm.
Below: Tip-Off Classic MVP Belle Pellecchia (Randolph, NJ/Rutgers Prepatory) and Assistant Athletic Director Curtis Spence
Below: NYU All-Classic Team recipients Jenny Walker (Sausalito, CA/Redwood) (L) and Erica Miller (Alamo, CA/Carondelet) (R)
Below: CMS All-Classic Team recipients Flora Durgerian (L) and Austyn Masuno
Not pictured: Bridgewater State's All-Classic Team recipient Arielle Cleveland
