NEW YORK, N.Y. (taken from an NYU press release) -- Junior
forward Jessica McEntee recorded 28 points and 15 rebounds,
including 17 second-half points, as the nationally ranked New York
University women's basketball team overcame a 10-point second-half
deficit to tough out a 57-47 victory over Brandeis University in
University Athletic Association (UAA) action Saturday afternoon at
the Jerome S. Coles Sports Center. The loss snapped a seven-game
winning streak for the Judges.
McEntee posted her sixth double-double of the season and helped the
Violets (11-0), ranked #4 in both the USA Today/ESPN and
D3hoops.com polls, improve to 32-7 all time against the Judges
(9-3), who were held without a field goal for the final 8:49.
The Violets needed their trademark stifling defense and some timely
shooting to overcome a mostly frigid shooting performance: NYU
rallied to shoot just 33.3% (18-for-54, 3-for-19 on
three-pointers), while Brandeis hit just 27.3% (15-for-55, 3-for-15
from long range) of its attempts.
For awhile, though, the Judges were able to contain the entire
Violet offense beyond McEntee (9-for-19 FG, career-high 3
three-pointers, 7-for-9 FT). Brandeis held a 31-21 lead after a
lay-up by Amber Strodthoff (10 points, 5 rebounds) with 15:41
remaining, then clung to a 35-26 advantage at the 13:22 mark when
Strodthoff canned a mid-range jumper.
The Violets began their rally, forging ties and trading leads with
the Judges until freshman guard Bianca Storts converted a lay-up
off a nifty pass from McEntee at the 4:41 mark to give her team the
lead for good, 47-45.
NYU closed the game on a 17-2 spurt over the final 5:58, with
McEntee scoring five of those points. The junior was the only
Violet in double digits scoring, with junior forward Gena Brown the
next highest scorer with seven points. Junior center Megan Fox
finished with five points, a team-best eight rebounds and three
assists.
Brandeis tallied its final nine points from the charity stripe and
shot just 19.2% (5-for-26) over the final 20 minutes.
Senior guard Jaime Capra led Brandeis with 16 points and eight
rebounds.