The New York University men's basketball team defeated the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts 82-72 on Saturday afternoon, November 29, in North Adams, MA.

The Violets (3-2) were once again led by junior big men Evan Kupferberg and Costis Gontikas. Kupferberg scored a game-best 25 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Gontikas added 21 points, which was the next best after Kupferberg, while grabbing and game-best nine rebounds.

NYU jumped out to an early 12-0 lead under four minutes into the first half and never looked back in their victory over the Trailblazers (1-3). As a team, the Violets shot 64.0 percent (32-of-50) from the floor. They also controlled the boards, outrebounding MCLA 38-26.

"Our guys came our aggresivley right from the start today," said NYU Head Coach Joe Nesci. "Despite foul trouble and a persistent opponent in MCLA, our players executed down the stretch to earn a hard-fought win."

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Kupferberg shot 11-of-13 from the floor. He also chipped in a career-best six assists.

- Gontikas also had an efficient afternoon, going 8-of-10 from the floor. He passed the ball well, notching a career-best five helpers.

- Ross Udine led all players with eight assists. He also chipped in nine points.

- Alec Papesch was third on NYU with seven rebounds and also contributed seven points.

- Joe Timmes chipped in 11 points, scoring in double-figures for the third time this season. He also blocked a game-high-tying two shots.

The Violets will return to the court for their third home contest of the season when they host the Stevens Institute of Technology on Saturday, December 6, at the Jerome S. Coles Sports Center in Manhattan. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 pm following the completion of the NYU men's basketball alumni game. Live stats and live video will be available.