Emory senior Daniel Curtin totaled a team-high 16 points but it wasn't enough as the Eagles dropped a hard-fought decision to New York University Friday evening.  The Eagles saw their overall record fall to 14-9, 6-6 in the University Athletic Association following a 75-73 setback to the Violets who boosted their overall slate to 16-7, 7-5 in the league.

NYU shot 55.8 percent from the floor (29-of-52), including 69.6 percent (16-of-23) in the second half.  Emory finished the evening connecting on 40 percent from the field (26-of-65).  The Eagles knocked down 12 treys in the game, their sixth contest of double-figure three-pointers this season.  NYU's freshman Carl Yaffe led all players with 25 points.

Curtin ended the game sinking six-of-10 of the floor, including three-of-five from three-point range, in posting his ninth double-figure performance of the season. Freshman Alex Greven added 12 points, all of which came on the strength of four three-point field goals.  Rounding out the team's double-figure scorers were sophomore Austin Claunch and senior Chad Hixon, both with 10 points apiece.

With Curtin totaling 10 points, Emory led by a 34-33 count at halftime. The Violets got off to a quick start in the second half, outpointing the Eagles by an 11-5 margin that enabled them to claim a 42-37 advantage.  Emory regrouped to tie the game at 47-47 with 14:21 on the clock following a bucket by junior Julien Williams.  NYU then scored the game's next seven points, sparked by five points from Yaffe that pushed them to a 54-47 lead with 13:02 left in the game.  Emory drew to within two points, 60-58, with 5:49 on the clock following a three-point field goal by freshman Michael Friedberg.  After a basket by Yaffee, Hixon converted a pair of free throws with 5:00 remaining to keep the Eagles' deficit at two points.  The Violets got some breathing room by picking up five straight points to go up by a 67-60 count with 3:14 left.  Claunch cut the margin to two points with 1:22 on the clock after knocking down a three-pointer, but a basket by Derek Becker, followed by a pair of foul shots by Keith Jensen, gave NYU a six-point bulge with 19 ticks remaining.  Gulotta countered with a three-pointer, his 10^th consecutive game of recording at least one trey, with 12 seconds left.  A foul shot by Yaffe with pushed NYU's margin to four before a tip-in by Williams with three seconds cut the Violets' edge to two points.  Becker then sealed the outcome by hitting a pair of charity tosses. 

Claunch dished out nine assists and in the process became Emory's single-season leader in that category.  He now has 143 this year and bettered the previous mark of 136 held by Paul Damm set during the 1989-90 season.

Emory will return to action on Sunday (Feb. 21) when it hosts Brandeis University.