Men’s basketball continues undefeated season after 7th straight win

The Violets steamrolled Yeshiva University in their second biggest game of the season.

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The NYU men’s basketball team triumphed in a match against Yeshiva University. (Courtesy of NYU Athletics)

Pablo Ocariz, Staff Writer

The NYU men’s basketball team continued its undefeated start to the season with a 108-67 win over Yeshiva University at home on Thursday, Dec. 1. The Violets now hold a 7-0 record — the team’s best start since the 2015-16 season.

Last season, the Yeshiva Maccabees were ranked as high as No. 1 in Division III, and one of their players, Ryan Turrell, was drafted by the Motor City Cruise, the Detroit Pistons G League affiliate.

Sophomore combo guard Zay Freeney continued to solidify himself as the team’s lead scorer, with a game high 29 points. Junior combo guard Cinque Stephens scored a career-high 17 points.

The Violets dominated from the very start, and held a commanding 47-18 lead by halftime. They stifled the Maccabees defensively and held Yeshiva to just 22% shooting from the field, as well as 20% from the 3-point line during the first half. In the second half, NYU’s offense shot an incredible 69% from the field, and an even more outrageous 71% from beyond the arc. 

A layup from Freeney with 8:53 left in the game contributed to one of NYU’s largest leads of 49 points. Less than a minute later, Freeney was subbed out, having played just 20 minutes. 

Graduate guard Spencer Freedman only bolstered the Violets’ performance with his game-high eight assists. Freedman leads the Violets in assists, now averaging seven per game — a crucial piece in the Violets offense. Wings, sophomore Holt Bashinsky and junior John Beattie scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds, respectively, both of which were career highs. 

The Violets look to continue their unbeaten streak on the road against York College on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Contact Pablo Ocariz at [email protected].