Bianca Storts poured in a career-high 23 points to lead the New York University women's basketball team to a 72-51 victory over Oswego State University in the opening game of the 2012 NYU New Year's Classic on Monday, January 2, at the Coles Sports Center in Manhattan.
 
Storts scored 19 of her 23 points in the first half as the Violets (7-2) put together one of their finest performances of the season in the period. NYU shot 56.3% (18-32) from the field in the period while holding the Lakers (7-4) to just 32.3% (10-31) shooting, taking a 45-32 lead into the break.
 
"We wanted to score more points and we came out aggressively and put up 45 points in the first half," said Violet head coach Stefano Trompeo. "It was a solid overall performance."
 
That performance continued in the second half, as NYU got to the free-throw line 13 times in the period and made 10 of its attempts from the stripe.
 
The Violets' 72 points tied the season high they established in a season-opening 72-49 win at York College (NY). NYU also shot a season-best 57.1% from three (4-7) and assisted on a season-best 20 baskets.
 
Storts and Tana Bertino carried the Violets in the first half, scoring 17 of the team's first 26 points to put NYU up 26-16 at the midway point of the period.
 
Melissa Peng helped expand the lead to 13 with a tremendous sequence, first setting up Diana Leondis with a perfect feed in transition. Peng then stole an outlet pass near midcourt and raced down the floor, converting a layup with a fantastic move around a defender trying to draw a charge.
 
Oswego State got as close as six late in the first half, but the Violets closed the period on a 7-0 run, including a Storts three-point play with 6.3 seconds to play.
 
"She's doing the things that she's capable of," commented Trompeo on Storts. "She's determined to play hard and go out with everything she's got in her final season."
 
NYU continued to pull away in the second half, eventually leading by as much as 27.
 
Storts added eight rebounds to her 23 points while shooting 8-11 from the field and 6-6 from the line. Alexis Doherty (11 points) and Bertino (10 points) also scored in double figures for the Violets, while Shelby Coon corralled a game-high 11 rebounds. Cara Bonito doled out a season-high-tying seven assists, all in the first half.
 
Kayla Ryan led the Lakers with 14 points – 12 of which came in the first half – and six rebounds. Lauren Nunziato netted 12 points, while Kari Kipper totaled four assists.
 
NYU continues play in the New Year's Classic tomorrow, Jan. 3, when it takes on Wesleyan University (CT) at 3:00 pm at Coles.