Men’s, women’s basketball begin

  • Captain Melissa Peng, #21, drives the ball down the court.

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  • #14 Maya Wasowicz dribbles the ball away from the opposing defenders.

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  • Maya Wasowicz, junior and team captain, jumps for a lay up.

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  • The NYU Cheer Squad cheers on the Violets defense.

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  • #13 Drew Cabral shoots for the three-pointer.

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  • Kaitlyn Read, Sohpmore Guard, drives the ball through the opposing team’s defense.

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  • The Lady Violets played a strong game both offensively and defensively.

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  • Team Captain Megan Dawe, senior, completes a free throw attempt.

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  • Freshman guard, Drew Cabral, goes for the layup.

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  • Team captain Evan Kupferberg, jumps over the John Jay College defense.

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  • #24, Kevin Kabore, takes a shot over the John Jay defense.

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  • Freshman Ross Udine jukes the John Jay defense.

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  • Ross Udine, freshman, drives the ball down the court.

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  • Sophomore Alec Papesch, fights through the John Jay defense to get the ball in the hoop.

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  • Patrick Burns gets behind the John Jay defense for a layup.

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  • Forward Patrick Burns takes advantage of being left unguarded and shoots for the basket.

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  • Patrick Burns, junior, exploits a hole in the defense of John Jay College.

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  • Max Ralby, junior and team captain, shoots for a three-point basket.

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Kyle Luther, Staff Writer
November 17, 2014

The NYU men’s and women’s basketball teams began their seasons with the NYU Tip-Off Tournament on Nov. 15 and 16, at Coles Sports Center.

The men’s team split their two games after winning their first round matchup and falling in a closely contested championship game.

The Violets went into the tournament ranked second in the preseason UAA poll. The first game, against John Jay College, started off with five straight points by the Violets, and they cruised to a 37-25 halftime lead. The lead ballooned to 20 in the early minutes of the second half and at one moment, it was as high as 32. The Violets dominated each quarter and made sure the Bloodhounds never got back into the game.

“It is always great to start the season off with a win, but to win by a large margin like we did speaks to how hard we have been working over the past month,” sophomore guard Joe Timmes said. “We have to continue working extremely hard and build off of the first game. I thought we played great team ball.”

Junior point guard Max Ralby underscored the importance of getting off to a good start.

“It feels good after a long month of practice to finally display all the hard work we have put in,” Ralby said. “It’s nice to come out with a big win first game. It feels good, but it is only one game. We know we still have a lot to improve to [be] where we need to be, but it was great first win and a great start for us.”

The Violets lost a nail-biter in the championship game 64-62 against Union College on Nov. 16. The game was evenly matched, and the teams finished with nearly identical field goal percentages, but a late layup by Union College broke NYU, as the Violets missed an opportunity to start the season 2-0.

The women’s basketball team experienced success this weekend, securing a Tip-Off Tournament victory. In the first game, on Nov. 15, the Violets defeated Western Connecticut State University 71-49. The Violets never trailed after taking the first two points of the game. Leading 16-9 with nine minutes left in the first half, the Violets finished the first quarter with a 17-9 run to take what proved to be an insurmountable lead.

The standout performance of the game came from junior forward Megan Dawe, who led all scorers with 20 points and was seven of 11 from the field.

On Nov. 16, the Violets took the championship game 86-70 against SUNY Plattsburgh. The game remained close in the first half, with the Violets maintaining a five-point lead at the break. But in the second half, the Violets were able to raise their field goal percentage from 37 percent in the first to 60 percent. The Violets outscored Plattsburgh by 11 points in the second frame and finished the game strong. Sophomore center Emily Rowe remarked on the number of players for the team that were able to contribute.

“Winning this tournament shows the depth of our team,” Rowe said. “Anyone can be successful on the floor at any time. We will value this type of team chemistry as we progress through the season.”

The women’s basketball team will take on Springfield College in Massachusetts on Nov. 22, and the men’s team will take on both Manhattan and Brooklyn colleges, also on Nov 22.

A version of this article appeared in the Nov 17 print edition. Email Kyle Luther at [email protected].