Bryler Paige scored 18 points and Andre Harris had 15 points (7-9 fg) to defeat the Violets of New York University, 83-70, to capture the NYU Tip-Off Tournament Championship on Sunday afternoon.

The visiting Bearcats trailed at the half (41-38), but began the second half on an 18-5 run to quickly jump to a comfortable 56-46 lead with 13:42 remaining.

The host Violets managed later to get as close as 71-65 on a layup by Bobby Hawkinson at the 3:05 mark, but the Bearcats connected on 14-of-16 free throws in the final three minutes to earn the early season trophy.

Paige shot 11-of-14 from the free throw line and Harris 7-of-9 from the field for the win at the Hunter College Sportsplex. 

Benjamin Boateng tallied a career-high 13 points and William Sixsmith scored 11 points as part of a balanced scoring attack.

Alex Casieri led the Violets from the United Athletic Association (UAA) with 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting.