The New York University women's basketball team faced its stiffest competition yet on Satruday afternoon, January 11, at the Coles Sports Center in Manhattan. The Violets defeated Brandeis University 67-57 in their University Athletic Association (UAA) opener.

"For us, getting any UAA win is important, but of course getting the first one under our belt is big," said Head Coach Lauren Hall-Gregory. "Within the UAA, it's so important to take care of you home games."

NYU (12-0) is off to its best start since the 2007-08 season when the Violets also began the year 12-0.

The Violets went head-to-head with a tough Brandeis (6-6) squad in a fitting Association opener. NYU had three players score in double figures, but were led by Riley Wurtz. The sophomore guard took over the game for the Violets, scoring a season-high 21 points.

NYU struggled shooting the ball in the first half, making just 27.5 percent from the floor and 14.3 from three-point range. The Violets trailed the Judges 25-24 heading into the break.

"At halftime I told them to loosen up; have fun," said Hall-Gregory. "It was the first time so far that we looked a little tight. I just wanted them to remember that we have a lot of confidence in them and to shoot the ball with confidence."

The Violets came out of their lockerroom on a mission, starting the second half on a 15-4 run while shooting 46.4 percent from the floor -- they would finish the game at 35.3 percent from the field.

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Wurtz added five steals and three rebounds to her day.

- Freshman forward Lindsey Oldshue scored 16 points while pulling down seven boards.

- Freshman guard Kaitlyn Read chipped in 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds. She also notched three steals.

- Sophomore co-captain Megan Dawe came down with 11 rebounds. The forward also scored six points.

The Violets will be back in action next weekend when they travel to Chicago and St. Louis for two UAA contests. NYU will face the University of Chicago on Friday, January 17, with tip-off scheduled for 6:00 pm central time. The Violets then face Washington University-St. Louis on Sunday, January 19, with a 2:00 pm central time tip.