The men’s and women’s basketball teams came out of their matchups this weekend with mixed results. Both teams dropped their first game on Friday night to the University of Rochester, but won close matches against Emory University on Sunday.

The men’s team was unable to get over the hump in their second match against Rochester this season, losing 85-75. The Violets fell behind in the first half, shooting just 44 percent while the yellow jackets shot 56 percent. NYU allowed Rochester to shoot 60 percent from beyond the arc. By the end of the first half, the Violets had fallen behind by 10 points after a 19-7 run by the Yellow Jackets.

In the second half, the Yellow Jackets were able to match the Violets point for point and maintain a solid lead until the final buzzer rang.

Junior forward Evan Kupferberg continued his stellar season by posting 15 points and 7 rebounds. Junior guard Hakeem Harris led the Violets with 20 points while shooting a perfect 9-9 from the charity stripe.

The NYU men’s  game against Emory was a more exciting, hotly contested affair. Each team’s lead was never more than razor thin for the entire game, but the Violets’ first-half shooting was enough to outlast the Eagles as both teams struggled in the second half. With just 1.5 seconds left on the clock, Kupferberg hauled in a full court pass and banked in a short jumper to give the Violets the win.

Junior guard Max Ralby was proud of the way his teammates stuck together.

“It was an incredible game to be a part of,” Ralby said. “It was a game of runs. We made ours, they made theirs. But ultimately we stuck together as a team and whatever they threw at us we stuck together. These are the games we live for and these are the games we want, and wouldn’t want to do it with any other groups of guys and coaches.”

Not surprisingly, the Violets were led by Kupferberg and Harris, with 24 and 18 points, respectively.

The women’s team fared no better than the men did against Rochester, and lost their second game of the season 72-63 to Rochester. The Violets were in control early in the first half, going into the break 41-32. They ended the first half on a 14-2 run and looked primed to carry that momentum into the second half. Things turned quickly, however, as the Yellow Jackets went on runs of 7-0, 12-2 and 17-6 in the second period.

The Violets were out-rebounded by 16 and their field goal percentage only got worse as the game continued. The Violets shot a dismal 36 percent from the field and went 0-5 from beyond the arc in the second half.

Sophomore guard Kaitlyn Read led the team with 18 points, one of only two players that scored in double digits for NYU. Sophomore Emily Rowe also finished with a team high 10 rebounds along with 8 points.

In their game against Emory, the women rebounded in much the same way as the men, winning 67-60. After a close first half, the Violets held the Eagles to only two points in the first seven minutes of the second half and out-rebounded them 59-31. The game got back to within four points, but it was Kaitlyn Read’s free throw shooting down the stretch that sealed the deal. After that win, the Violets improved their record to 18-2.

The men and women will hit the court again on Friday at Coles Sports Center against Case Western Reserve University in a back-to-back during Violet Nation Giveaway Day.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Feb. 9 print edition. Email Kyle Luther at [email protected].