The
pre-season #2-ranked New York University women's basketball team kicked off their season with an emphatic 95-52 victory over Haverford College on Sunday, November 8, at the Paulson Center.
NYU edged out Haverford in the first quarter, 21-20 after a hectic, competitive 10 minutes of play with five lead changes.
Sofia Corral stole the ball with 1:07 left on the clock, scoring an and-one to give the Violets a 21-17 lead.
This momentum carried into the second quarter, which NYU began on a 13-0 run, keeping Haverford scoreless for over four minutes of play. The home team continued their dominance for the rest of the quarter, holding the opposition to only nine points.
The Violets' defense forced 18 turnovers in the first half, nine of which were caused by steals.
The lead grew to as many as 24 in the first half, with NYU leading 50-29 at the end of the first 20 minutes.
The Violets came back for the third with just as much energy, entering the final frame with a 74-42 advantage.
NYU played stifling defense with an aggressive full-court press, causing Haverford to turn the ball over 33 times. As a team, the Violets racked up 20 steals, with four each by
Brooke Batchelor and
Yasmene Clark.
"I think for us, it was really important for this game to start out the right way: with the right energy, certainly leading with our defense," said Head Coach
Meg Barber. "One of the things that makes us unique is that we are not relying on one person. I think anyone is capable of having a big time offensive game, and for us, we're focused on all five players on the court having a great defensive game."
The Violets had five players score in double figures, and 15 different players saw playing time. Sophomore guard
Aila Kaibara led the team with 20 points, followed by Batchelor, who had 15 points, five rebounds, and eight assists. Clark recorded 14 points and seven rebounds,
Aizlyn Albanese led the bench with 11 points, and
Zahra Alexander notched 10.
The Violets return to action on Saturday, November 14, against SUNY New Paltz. The game begins at 3:00 pm in the Paulson Center.
