Both teams established their post play early. Senior Anthony Hollins scored back-to-back buckets to open the contest for WU, and junior Mike Grunst added a three-point play. Sophomore Jason Boone scored NYU's first six points as the Violets held an early 8-7 advantage.
Washington U. then scored 17 unanswered points to take a commanding 24-8 lead with 8:24 left in the half. Senior Rob Keller started the run with a three-pointer, followed by a breakaway dunk by junior Calvin Williams later in the run. Hollins also highlighted the first half with a two-handed reverse jam along the right baseline to push WU's lead to 32-16. The Bears led 43-31 at the half, as Williams led the Bears with 10 first-half points, six of which came from beyond the arc.
Senior Mike Gilkerson notched six quick points to open the second half as NYU (12-6, 2-5 University Athletic Association (UAA)) trimmed WU's lead to 49-42 with 14:52 remaining in the game. However, the Bears pushed ahead to 59-46 thanks to consecutive treys by junior Scott Stone and Keller. After a Violets timeout, the Bears maintained their lead at 10 points or more the rest of the way.
Hollins and Keller finished with a team-high 14 points apiece to lead the Bears, while Williams finished with 11. Stone recorded 12 points, six rebounds and three assists at the point. The Bears also shot 24-of-29 from the foul line for the game, including some late free throws to seal the win. Sophomore Michael DeCorso posted a game-high 17 points for the Violets.
Washington U. (12-6, 4-3 UAA) is back in action Friday, Feb. 4, when it will hosts New York in the back end of a home-and-home series. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. (CST) at the WU Field House.