Women's Basketball Falls to NYU in Season Opener

NEW YORK – In the opening round of the New York University Tip-Off Tournament, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team suffered a 76-34 loss to host NYU in both team's season openers at the Coles Sports Center on Friday evening.

The host Violets (1-0) used a balanced offense that saw 12 different players record a field goal and connected on 40 percent (28-70) of their attempts. Freshman Emily Rowe came off the bench to pace three Violets in double figures with 13 points and nine rebounds.

The Lady Bears (0-1) were led by sophomore transfer Erica Eddy (Glendale, N.Y./Christ the King) who netted eight points and grabbed four rebounds in her Lady Bear debut. Junior Kristin D'Chiutiis (Brooklyn, N.Y./Scholars Academy) added seven points and fellow junior Samantha Retas (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) controlled the paint with a team-high eight rebounds, also swiping three steals.

Turning Point

After the teams remained tied at 4-4 after a slow opening four minutes of play, NYU used a 12-2 run to extend their lead to double figures. Later in the opening half, the Violets used a 15-0 run over five minutes and took a commanding 33-12 lead at the break.

News and Notes

• Eight different Lady Bears scored at least two points. Freshman Jamilynn McGowan (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides) and Kristen Candelaria (Jamaica, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) both scored two points each in their collegiate debut.
• St. Joseph's was held to 20 percent shooting (10-49) and only 7 percent (1-15) from behind-the-arc.
• The much taller NYU held a 58-29 rebounding advantage and outscored St. Joseph's 46-14 in the paint. The Violets also made the most of their attempts from the line, shooting a perfect 17-of-17.
• NYU leads the all-time series 36-11-1 in a series that dates back to 1924-25.
• Both teams also met in the opening round of the NYU tournament last season with the Violets taking a 68-53 victory. NYU has gone on to capture the championship in 10 of 11 years, losing for the first time last year to New Paltz.
• This is the Lady Bears third straight appearance in the NYU Tip-Off Tournament.

Next Up for the Lady Bears

St. Joseph's will play the loser of Springfield College vs. College of Staten Island in the third-place game tomorrow at 6 p.m. at the Coles Sports Center.