New York University's #4-ranked Women's Basketball Team had its unbeaten start to the season ended at Rochester on Friday.

The Violets bounced back quickly, coming in with a newfound chip on their shoulder to defeat Emory University, 77-44, on Sunday, January 30 in Atlanta, GA.

"We came in focused on learning from our first loss of the season," said Head Coach Meg Barber. "What I learned about our team today is we have a ton of character, heart and competitiveness. We were relentless for 40 minutes and showed what we can do when we stay focused and play NYU basketball."

NYU (15-1, 6-1) and Emory (11-5, 5-2) were tied for first place in the University Athletic Association (UAA) standings entering the game. The Violets left no doubt as to who should sit atop the Association, leading for all but the first two minutes of the contest.

Belle Pellecchia scored seven of her game-high 18 points in the first quarter as the Violets shot 66.7 percent from the field and held Emory to an 18.8 percent clip for a 25-7 lead after one.

NYU continued to roll, holding the Eagles scoreless over a 12:45 span from midway through the second until late in the third, establishing a 64-29 advantage after three quarters.

Emory outscored the Violets 15-13 in the fourth but it was too little, too late as NYU picked up its seventh 30-point victory of the season.

"Belle had a huge game for us on both ends of the floor with a tough assignment to shut down their leading scorer," added Barber. Emory's top offensive threat and the UAA's second-leading scorer, Claire Brock, was limited to eight points on 3-of-10 shooting.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Pellecchia finished with 18 points (7-of-13 FG, 2-of-4 3PT, 2-of-2 FT), 10 rebounds and two assists as she notched her second double-double of the season.
• Natalie Bruns added a double-double of her own, going for 15 points, a career-high 16 boards, three assists and two blocks.
• Junior captain Jenny Walker totaled 14 points (6-of-9 FG), nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
• Sharpshooter Erica Miller buried four triples en route to 12 points while grabbing six caroms.
• NYU's defense shined, holding Emory to 25.4 percent shooting from the floor and 16.7 percent from deep.
• The Eagles' 44 points were the third-lowest for an NYU opponent this season and fewest during UAA play.

NEXT UP:
The Violets will look to avenge their lone loss of 2021-22 when they host the University of Rochester on Friday, February 4 at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, NY.