Behind Bianca Storts' 17 points and Shelby Coon's double-double, the New York University women's basketball team earned a 54-45 victory at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU on Wednesday, November 23, in Brooklyn, NY.
 
Storts added seven rebounds and three steals to her team-leading 17 points, while Coon totaled 10 points and 12 boards to lead the Violets (4-0) to their fourth straight win to start the season.
 
NYU took its largest lead of the first half, 22-14, on Coon's jumper with 36 seconds to play, but Poly's (2-1) Catherine Thompson scored five straight points – including a putback just before time expired – to cut the Violets' halftime lead to just three at 22-19.
 
Thompson did the same to start the second period, bringing the Fighting Blue Jays to within one, but a 9-3 NYU run put the Violets' advantage up to seven.
 
Poly pulled to as close as five near the midway point of the half, but the NYU's transition offense proved too much as the squad pulled away.
 
"I thought in the second half we focused enough to execute our offensive sets better," said Violet head coach Stefano Trompeo. "The mental focus was better, and we got enough defensive rebounds to run and get better shot selection."
 
Though NYU held an opponent under 50 points for the third time in four games, the Violets allowed the Fighting Blue Jays to come up with 19 offensive rebounds, keeping the score close despite Poly's 30.6% (19-62) shooting.
 
"We had too many defensive breakdowns," commented Trompeo. "The off-side defense was not there, which gave them all those offensive rebounds. The disciplined defense we played in the first three games was not there at all."
 
Cara Bonito joined Storts and Coon in double figures, netting 11 points to go along with four assists.
 
Three Fighting Blue Jays scored all of the team's points. Thompson led all scorers with 21 points and added 10 rebounds for a double-double. Margaux Pickell totaled 13 points and eight boards, while Shelby Bruns had 11 points and seven rebounds.
 
NYU returns to action on Tuesday, Nov. 29, when it travels to Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 pm.