NYU women's basketball is a historic run.
Violet, the top-ranked NCAA Division III women's basketball team, reached the milestone by beating the University of Chicago 80-58 on Friday for the 50th consecutive win.
This is the longest active streak in male or female NCAA basketball, tied to the ninth longest in DIII history.
Caroline Pepper led the way with 22 points, adding five assists, three steels and one block.
Despite the streaks looming in each game for Sumire, head coach Meg Barber claimed that the team didn't prevail themselves.
“Our motto was to keep piling up one-0 nights the whole time,” Barber told the post over the phone after his victory. “We were able to put it together again tonight and get a victory.”
Their winning streak dates back to the beginning of last season, when Sumire was undefeated and won the NCAA Division III national title.
“I think this stretch speaks to the consistency of our culture and mentality and puts its first priority to working hard,” Barber added. “Tonight, I have confirmed with the team that I am on a special journey this year and how far I can go.”
Before Friday's game against Chicago, the violet was behind the game only once this season, chasing Case Western Reserve University 5-2 on January 26th.
NYU won that game 107-31.
As the team is about to win second straight national title, the majority of the roster remains intact since the undefeated season from 2023-24.
However, team captain Natalie Brands has the same mentality as her coach.
“Today we treated it the same way we did with other games,” Brands said. “But I don't put that lightly, because I think we take every game very seriously. We know it's one game at a time.”
The Bruns, a graduate student who scored 13 points in Friday's victory and chipped with six assists, was a key piece for Sumire's Championship-winning team, which earned WBCA Division III Player of the Year honors.
She said the program has grown dramatically since her freshman year.
“We saw us grow, we started off without a gym and really developed a culture that wasn't as dominant as we are now, but our work ethic and a great success for us,” Brands added. .
“There's no word about it to do that with your best friend. That's really great.”
