Completing the second leg of its midwest road trip, the New York University Men's Basketball Team took on the University of Chicago on Sunday, January 23 in Chicago, IL.

The Maroons (6-9, 1-3) used a late surge in the closing minutes of the second half for a 70-57 win over NYU (9-5, 0-4).

"We had a very good first 20 minutes," said Head Coach Dagan Nelson. "We must improve our offensive execution and recognize how important our focus has to be on both sides of the ball for a full 40 minutes. The margin for error in this league is so small."

The Violets had a strong first half and maintained a 34-31 advantage at the break. Senior captain Bobby Hawkinson (Frankfort, IL/Marist) scored 14 of his team-high 18 points over the opening 20 minutes as the team shot 50 percent (15-of-30) from the field in the first.

Kawika Akina (Kahuku, HI/Pleasant Grove (Pleasant Grove, UT)) hit a jumper five minutes into the second that gave NYU a double-digit lead (43-33). The Violets kept Chicago at bay for the next few minutes until Elliot Paschal buried a triple at the 10:46 mark to make it a one possession game (48-45).

Later, with NYU leading by just one (55-54), Thomas Kurowski was fouled on a long-range attempt and hit all three free throws to put Chicago on top, 57-55, with 4:40 to play.

The Maroons then mounted a 13-2 run over the final three minutes of the contest to secure their first University Athletic Association (UAA) victory of the year.

Hawkinson poured in 18 points (8-of-12 FG) along with 12 rebounds and seven assists, nearly collecting a triple-double.

Zay Freeney (Phoenix, AZ/South Mountain) was the only other Violet in double-figures, scoring 11 points (4-of-8 FG) with a rebound and an assist.

Alex Maticiuc (Monaco, Monte-Carlo/St. Thomas More School (Montville, CT)) and Nick Macarchuk (Alamo, CA/St. Thomas Moore Prep) contributed seven points apiece for NYU.

The Violets continue their long stretch of road games with a UAA matchup at the University of Rochester on Friday, January 28.