The New York University Violets scored the first 11 points of the game and never trailed as they defeated Smith College in the NCAA wom-en’s Division III basketball champion-ship Saturday. NYU won 77-49 at the Cregger Center in Salem.
This was the second consecutive NCAA Division III National Championship for NYU, capping off a second consecutive 31-0 season. NYU is only the third NCAA Division III women’s team to post consecutive undefeated seasons and the fourth to win consecutive titles. The Violets’ 62-game winning streak is the eighth-longest in NCAA women’s basketball history at any level.
“The winning streak wasn’t impor-tant to me. Winning the Championship is what the goal was,” said NYU Head Coach Meg Barber.
Five Violets scored in double-figures, with three of them playing in the final games of their collegiate careers. Senior Belle Pellecchia led the way with 18 points while adding six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. She was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Wisconsin-Stout and Wisconsin-OshKosh lost semifinal games Thurs.
PHOTO BY BRIAN HOFFMAN
