The New York University men's basketball team opened its season with a win against the University of Saint Joseph on Tuesday, November 10, at the John A. Paulson Center. The Violets surged past the Blue Jays to an 89-54 victory.
The team shot 50% (15-30) from the three-point range.
The game started with a low-scoring performance for both teams, 16-15 with nine minutes remaining in the first half. The Violets eventually went on a six-point scoring stretch to widen the gap to seven points. They increased the lead to 38-24 after a buzzer-beating three-pointer by
Carnegie Johnson.
Joshua Hopson led the charge with 13 points, alongside
Alex McCleery Brown with 11 points at the intermission.
The Violets entered the second half with an immediate corner three from
Bryan Moussako. They continued their strong defensive performance by forcing a shot clock violation and generating turnovers.
The lead increased to as many as 35 points at the end of the game.
McCleery Brown led NYU with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Three other Violets scored double digits: Moussako (10), Hopson (16), and Johnson (13).
Johnson also led the team with a game-high six assists.
"Alex is a hard worker, and you can see his effort on every possession," said Head Coach
Waleed Farid. "When you play that way it's infectious, it gets our guys to play at the same level."
The Violets return to the court for the New York City Collegiate Classic opener against Johns Hopkins University on Saturday, November 14. The game will tip off at 5:00 pm.
"We know it's going to be a battle between two really good programs," Farid added. "I'm looking forward to it."
