Spencer Freedman recorded his seventh game with 20-or-more points this season to lead New York University's men's basketball team over Carnegie Mellon University, 79-55, in a University Athletic Association (UAA) contest at the Brooklyn Athletic Facility on Friday night.

Freedman missed just two shots (8-of-10 FG) for a game-high 22 points with five assists to highlight four Violets in double figures. It was NYU's defense that sealed the victory, however, holding CMU to an opponent season-low 55 points on 34.5 percent (20-of-58) shooting from the floor and 18.2 percent (2-of-11) from deep.

"It was something we harped on the last three days in practice," said head coach Dave Klatsky. "We needed to amp it up on defense. Our defense has been—I'm not going to sugarcoat it—really bad. And we have guys that can guard.

"So, we really challenged them to make a commitment to ball pressure and making things a lot more difficult. The guys bought in and after that first 6-0 run I felt like I was watching a different team from what we saw the last few games."

The Tartans scored the first six points of the game, but NYU responded with a 19-6 run to take a seven-point lead (19-12) after Cinque Stephens' layup with 8:47 left in the first half.

Freedman and fellow graduate student Michael Savarino scored nine points apiece in the first half as the Violets rode their momentum to a 36-19 advantage at the break.

Carnegie Mellon never came closer than 17 points throughout the final 20 minutes while Freedman (13) and Nikola Lipovic (11) combined for 24 of the Violets' 43 second-half points.

Lipovic, who made his second start of the season, finished with 13 points, two rebounds and two steals.

"We thought the pairings might work out a little better with a guy like Nik, who's a great spot-up shooter, playing more with Spencer," Klatsky said of the decision to alter the starting lineup. "And we had lost three in a row so we had to try some things we hadn't been trying and today it worked. Hopefully it'll work going forward but we're always trying to make the best of the lineups that we have."

Savarino totaled 13 points, six boards, three assists and a steal while Stephens added 10 points, five rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals.

Zay Freeney chipped in eight points (4-of-7 FG), two boards and a takeaway. Holt Bashinsky (nine rebounds) and Quinn Clark (seven rebounds) led the way on the glass for NYU.

"Carrying (the momentum from this win) is going to be paramount because Case is great," Klatsky noted. "Carnegie's great, everyone in this league can beat anyone on a given night. So, if you come out with the enthusiasm that we have, then good things will happen. It doesn't necessarily mean you'll win the game, but it puts you in a position to compete. That's been my message. We need to play hard and compete and good things will happen."

The Violets welcome Case Western Reserve University to Brooklyn for another UAA showdown on Sunday at noon.