NEW YORK, NY(SMI-GLOBAL-WOMEN UNIVERSITY-SPORTS-NOV. 08-10, 2024)-The NYU women's basketball team who won the NCAA DIV III championship title last season with 31-0, perfect record picked-up where they-left off overpowering MIT 80-39, on its season home opener as part the annual "The Scholar's Classic tournament " at the  John A. Paulson Center, NYU University.

Forward Natalie Bruns (2023-2024 NCAA DIV III Player of the Year)  & defender Belle Pellecchia ( 2023-2024 UAA conference defensive player of the year) combined for 23 points in the rout that sealed the first win of the season for the Violets, and extending its winning streak to 32-0, for the 2023-2024 NCAA Div III defending champions.

NYU went to the attack from the start and took a commanding lead of 7-2, in the first 3.5' with forward Jamie Behar scoring 5-points with a Layup & a triple while Natalie Bruns added couple Free Throws at 06:28 mark of the first period.

MIT answered back with a triple by Libi Matityahoo to cut the deficit 7-5, but the Violets kept the pressure and counter-attacked with 5 players scoring 5-consecutive layups during a span of 4' to closed-out the first period with the NYU leading 17-7, over MIT.Paika Van Der Maas, Eden Williamson, Caitlin Kenney, Natalie Bruns and Brooke Batchelor contributed with two points each in the attack.

In the second period, NYU's Caroline Peper and Mary Kate Fahey netted a basket apiece from outside of the arc, and Belle Pellecchia and Natalie Bruns added couple layups from inside the paint to register another 10' points offensive attack spree to
within 5' minute and increase its lead 27-13, with 04:52 left in the half. 

The Engineers tried to get something going in the attack but were neutralized by the solid defensive line of NYU.

The Violets looked solid defensively and strong offensively the rest of the way, Natalie Bruns, Mary Kate Fahey, and Caroline Pepper combined in the final counter-attack of the half with a total 6-points with layups in the paint and couple Fts to closed-out the half 36-18, and sealed the victory of 80-39, over MIT in the game.  

NYU outperformed MIT in the game stats scoring 36-7, in turnovers, 48-18, in the paint, and 15-0, fast break points in the game.