CHICAGO, Ill. – In its conference home opener, the University of Chicago women's basketball team pushed undefeated New York University to the limit but ultimately came up short as NYU rallied for a hard-fought 89-87 victory on Friday.

The No. 25-ranked Violets improved their record to 13-0 on the season and 2-0 in the young UAA season. The Maroons fell to 6-7 overall and 0-2 in the UAA.

It was a high-octane game as both teams pushed up and down the floor for 40 minutes, combining for 129 shot attempts and 42 turnovers. The Violets' ability to get to the free throw line was the key to their success as they outscored the Maroons 26 to 12 from that spot.

After a back and forth start, it looked like NYU's winning streak was going to end. Hot shooting and transition baskets by the Maroons allowed them to open up a double-digit lead midway through the first half. The lead ballooned to 17 with five minutes left before NYU chipped away at the lead for a halftime mark of 55-43 in favor of UChicago. By the break, the Maroons had already scored more than NYU's other opponents averaged for an entire game (50.3 points per game entering the day).

Both teams were red hot from the field in the half. UChicago tallied 55.3 percent shooting while NYU recorded a 57.7 percent effort. The Maroons received a balanced scoring effort with 13 points by junior guard Morgan Donovan, 12 points by sophomore guard Caitlin Moore and 10 points from junior guard Claire Devaney.

The second half saw the Violets claw their way back into the game, reducing the lead to one with 13:42 left in the game thanks to a 19-8 run. NYU relied on their nationally-ranked rebounding ability and UChicago went cold from the field, shooting only 23 percent in the second half at that point. The two teams battled down the stretch with UChicago not surrendering the lead until a three-pointer gave the Violets a 69-67 lead with 8:23 remaining in the game.

The game see-sawed from there as the teams traded baskets. NYU kept getting the ball inside to sophomore forward Megan Dawe, who bulled her way to 29 points and nine rebounds on the evening. Senior forward Alexis Doherty's bucket with 2:40 left gave the Violets the lead for good at 82-80. UChicago senior guard Julie Muguira hit tough shots down the stretch to keep the Maroons within striking distance. But timely free throw shooting gave NYU just enough to protect their perfect record as a last-second shot by senior guard Maggie Ely fell short to end the Maroons' upset hopes.

After leading the nation with a rebounding margin of +16.7 per game, NYU only led the category 38-37 against a gritty UChicago effort. Moore made a big contribution from the Maroon bench with 14 points from 6 of 8 shooting. But it was not enough as the Violets cashed in on 16 free throws in the second half.

UChicago Team Stats and Leaders
Field Goal Percentage – 45.2 percent (33-73)
Three-Point Percentage – 30.0 percent (9-30)
Free Throw Percentage – 70.6 percent (12-17)
Julie Muguira (Guard, Sr.) – 20 points, 6 rebounds
Morgan Donovan (Guard, Jr.) – 16 points, 5 assists
Claire Devaney (Guard, Jr.) – 16 points, 8 rebounds

NYU Team Stats and Leaders
Field Goal Percentage – 51.8 percent (29-56)|
Three-Point Percentage – 50.0 percent (5-10)
Free Throw Percentage – 72.2 percent (26-36)
Megan Dawe – 29 points, 9 rebounds
Kaitlyn Reed – 20 points, 6 rebounds
Riley Wurtz – 13 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 7 steals

NEXT GAME:

• Sunday, Jan. 19 – Brandeis University at UChicago, 2 PM