NEW YORK – The University of Rochester stayed in the hunt for the men's basketball title in the University Athletic Association by holding off an NYU challenge late on Friday evening. Rochester won, 66-63, at the Hunter College Sportsplex in mid-Manhattan.

Rochester improved to 15-4 overall, 5-3 in the UAA. NYU is 0-8 in the UAA race, 6-13 overall. UR is fourth in the UAA standings, behind Washington, Emory, and Chicago. They are all 6-2. Brandeis is fifth at 4-4. Rochester plays at Brandeis Sunday. Washington goes to Case Western Reserve (2-6) while Chicago visits Carnegie Mellon (3-5). Emory comes to NYU.

Ryan Clamage led UR with 15 points. Alexander Lundstrom scored 13 points and handed out five assists.Trent Noordsij scored 10 points and Ryan Aligier had nine.

Dom Cristiano led NYU with 19 points and nine rebounds. The Violets did not have a second man in double figures.

Noordsij scored five points and Algier had four in a 21-9 run over 10 minutes early in the second half. When it ended, UR led, 54-43, with eight minutes to go. The lead was still double figures, 65-53, with 3:18 remaining when NYU's defense forced some off-target shots and picked up a couple of steals. Cristiano scored eight of his 19 points in a 10-1 run over the final 3:18 that got the home team close.