The Emory men's basketball team saw a three-game win streak snapped on Sunday as a furious second-half rally came up just short at New York University.  The No. 12-ranked Eagles saw their overall record fall to 14-4, 4-3 in the University Athletic Association, following a 96-92 setback to the No. 23 Violets who raised their overall mark to 13-5, 4-3 in the league.

Sophomore Jonathan Terry led five Emory double-figure scorers with a career high 23 points, 16 coming over the final 20 minutes of action, ending the contest converting nine-of-15 from the floor, including a pair of three-point field goals, and all three of his free throw attempts in posting his fourth double-figure scoring effort of the season.  Senior Michael Florin and junior Davis Rao totaled 17 and 16 points, respectively, with Rao's effort representing a career high.  Rounding out Emory's double-digit scorers were senior Alex Foster (16 pts.) and junior Will Trawick (15 pts).

NYU held a one-point lead with 13:29 left in the game before scoring nine unanswered points, capped by a three pointer by Ross Udine, to take a 62-52 lead with 11:22 remaining.   The Violets built a pair of 13-point cushions, the final time with 8:00 on the clock after a jumper by Udine.  Five straight points by Trawick drew Emory to within eight points a minute later, but NYU still enjoyed an 82-71 margin with 5:06 left.  A triple by Rao, followed by a pair of free throws by Terry, cut the gap to six points with 4:52 to go.  NYU staked itself to an 86-78 lead with 4:05 remaining when it made what would be its last field goal of the contest, but an Emory free throw and Foster triple kept the Eagles alive, down four with just over three minutes on the clock.  After a pair of NYU free throws, Terry hit a jumper and then converted a three-point play that drew the hard-charging Eagles to within one point with 1:42 left.  NYU misfired on an attempt from the floor on its ensuing possession, but Emory couldn't take advantage when it turned the ball over.  Two more makes by NYU at the stripe pushed its lead to three points with 1:00 left, and then upped it advantage to four points with 36 ticks left when it made one of two from the line.  A clutch triple by Rao seven seconds later, cut the Eagles deficit to just one point.  Two free throws by NYU's Udine, followed by a Florin drive to the hoop, made the score 93-92 in the Violets' favor with 22 seconds remaining.  After NYU made one of two from the line, an Emory field goal attempt missed its mark.  NYU got the rebound that allowed Hakeem Harris to hit a free throw with 12 seconds on the clock, giving the home team a 95-92 edge.  NYU then opted fouled Emory with seven seconds left, rather than allow it to attempt a three pointer.  The Eagles missed both attempts, sealing the outcome in NYU's favor.  Hakeem Harris led NYU in scoring with a game-high 28 points.

Both teams shot the ball well from the floor, with NYU recording a slight edge, 51.7 percent (31-of-60) to Emory's 50 percent (36-of-72).   The Eagles were solid from beyond the arc, converting 37.9 percent (11-of-29) of their opportunities while NYU was successful on five-of-15.  The Violets finished with a big advantage in foul shooting, knocking down 29-of-38 compared to Emory's 9-of-17.  NYU finished with a 41-34 edge in rebounding.

In a closely played first half that featured seven ties and six lead changes, NYU took a slim 38-36 lead into halftime.   The Eagles shot 42.9 percent (15-of-35) from the floor, and sank four-of-12 from three-point range.  The Violets were successful on 43.2 percent (16-of-37) of their field goal tries and held a 24-20 edge in the rebounding category.  NYU's biggest lead of the stanza came at 15-10 before Emory rattled off a 12-3 spurt, with Florin scoring five of his 11 first-half points and Foster adding a three pointer in that stretch, in providing the Eagles with their biggest advantage during the opening 20 minutes, 22-18, with 8:12 remaining.   NYU led by a 36-33 count before a free throw by Will Trawick, followed by a Florin bucket, knotted the score with 48 ticks on the clock.   A basket by the Violets' Costis Gontikas with 28 seconds remaining broke the deadlock.

The Eagles return to action on Friday (Feb. 6) when host Brandeis University.