Box Score Junior Khadijah Sayyid scored a team-high 13 points, but it wasn't enough as the Emory women's basketball team suffered a loss on the road to New York University. The Eagles saw their overall record dip to 10-8, 2-5 in the University Athletic Association, following a 74-62 setback to the No. 8-ranked Violets, who boosted their overall record to 17-1, 6-1 in the conference.
In addition to her point total, Sayyid paced the Eagles with 12 rebounds and in the process chalked up her sixth double-double of the campaign. Sophomore Michelle Bevan totaled 12 points, her sixth double-digit outing in 14 games this season, while sophomore Fran Sweeney chipped in 10 points.
Emory and NYU traded body blows during the opening 12 minutes of the contest with the Eagles holding a 20-19 lead with 8:52 left in the stanza following a bucket by freshman Dumebi Egbuna. The Violets then responded with a 7-0 run, sparked by five points from Mellisa Peng, to claim a 26-20 advantage. A pair of free throws by Bevan drew Emory to within 30-26 with 3:02 on the clock, but NYU closed with an 11-4 spurt to take a 41-30 lead into halftime. NYU shot 46.9 percent (15-of-32) from the floor in the half, compared to the Eagles' 34.3 percent (12-of-35), and converted four three-point field goals in 13 opportunities.
The Violets maintained their double-digit lead for the bulk of the second half with Emory getting to within nine points after Bevan hit two from the charity stripe, but a subsequent 10-3 NYU burst over the next four minutes gave the host squad its largest lead of the afternoon, 53-37, with 14:33 on the clock. The Eagles did battle back to within 11 points at 60-49 with 7:27 after a pair of Sayyid free throws, but NYU held off the Emory comeback bid in securing its 11th home win in 12 outings.
For the game, NYU was successful on 39.3 percent (24-of-61) of its field goal attempts while Emory recorded a mark of 29.0 percent (20-of-69). The Eagles drained 74.1 percent (20-of-27) of their free throw opportunities, with Sayyid sinking nine-of-10 and Bevan six-of-six, while NYU connected on 22 of its 33 tries. The Violets, who were led in scoring by Peng's 17 points, held the edge in rebounding by a 50-46 margin.
Emory returns to action next Friday (Feb. 6) when it hosts Brandeis.
