NYU 82 Emory 73

The New York University women's basketball team, led by a career performance from Kaitlyn Read, came away with a hard-fought road victory on Friday night, February 21, defeating Emory University 82-73 in Atlanta.

The Violets (19-4, 8-4 University Athletic Association) had four players score in double-figures as they took the season series 2-0 with the road victory at the Eagles (16-7, 5-7 UAA).

Throughout the contest, especially in the second half, the game featured a stellar one-on-one battle between NYU's Read, and Emory's Savannah Morgan, who guarded each other for the majority of the game. The Violet freshman guard finished with a career-high-tying 26 points, along with a career-best 17 boards, for her second-career double-double, while Morgan registered 27 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.

"Kaitlyn Read has been so important for us throughout the season," said Head Coach Lauren Hall-Gregory. "She's a winner; she's a fighter; she's a competitor. That really has been our team identity throughout the season and she's been a big part of it so I'm thankful she's on my team."

NYU led for most of the contest, but the Eagles were able to jump out to a five-point advantage with 6:30 remaining. The Violets then took control after staving off the comeback, finishing the game on a 20-6 run.

Overall, the Violets held the edge on the boards, outrebounding the Eagles 42-36, while also controlling the area under the basket. NYU outscored Emory 32-16 in points in the paint.

"Both teams played very hard, and it wasn't pretty all the time, but both teams had to be reresilient and we just weathered the storm at the end," said Hall-Gregory.

With the victory, as well as a Chicago University loss tonight, the Violets are now knotted for second place in the UAA.

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Sophomore co-captain forward Megan Dawe finished with 19 points, six rebounds and a steal in her first game back after missing three straight.

"Obviously points and rebounds are great for Megan -- she's an incredible all-conference post player -- so it's great to have her back on the offensive end," said Hall-Gregory. "Her composure, grace under pressure, and leadership skills, as well as having her underneath the basket, makes us more confident."

- Junior co-captain point guard Melissa Peng chipped in 11 points, three assists, three rebounds, and two steals. She sunk six-of-seven free throws down the stretch in the second half.

"The whole game Melissa was guarded by two people and is still able to fight through doubleteams and get the ball over halfcourt," said Hall-Gregory. "She played 40 tough minutes and was tremedous for us tonight."

- Freshman guard Amy Harioka scored 10 points, along with three steals, two assists, and two rebounds.

NYU will be back in action on Sunday afternoon, February 23, when it travels to Rochester, NY, to face the University of Rochester for a scheduled 2:00 pm tip-off.