The New York University women's basketball team defeated Western Connecticut State University 71-49 in the 2014-15 season opener for both teams at the NYU Tip-Off Tournament at the Coles Sports Center in Manhattan on Saturday, November 15.

NYU scored the first two points of the game and never trailed. Leading 16-9 with nine minutes left in the first half, the Violets went on a 17-4 run over the next seven minutes to take a commanding lead.

"I thought the turning point came in the first half when we were up 16-9," said Head Coach Lauren Hall-Gregory. "Our defense became more of a factor in the game and we were able to get some easy buckets."

NYU never led by less than 15 the rest of the way and took a game-high 27-point advantage, 71-44, on Maya Wasowicz's layup with 2:45 left. She finished with 15 points, including 7-10 from the field. 

"I thought our bench did a great job of the intensity level not just staying the same, but going up," Hall-Gregory said. "We went on a couple of runs with our key reserves in the game." 

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Megan Dawe led all scorers with 20, shooting 7-11 from the floor and a perfect 6-6 from the foul line.

- Kaitlyn Read led NYU with six rebounds. She and Drew Cabral, in her collegoate debut, each had a team-high four assists.

- Read and Wasowicz each collected four steals.

- Caroline Brasa finished with a double-double (11 points, 12 rebounds) for the Colonials (0-1).   

"I'm excited about the energy and the experience level on our team this year," Hall-Gregory added. "We can use our depth to an advantage." 

The Violets (1-0) will now play Plattsburgh State University (1-0), a 76-66 winner over Juniata College, in the Tip-Off Championship Game on Sunday at 2 pm.