New York University boys and girls basketball teams got the opportunity to become the first school to win a Division III title in each sport on Saturday.
Purple almost achieved a feat.
The NYU women rounded out another perfect season, winning the back-to-back national championship by bringing Smith College 77-49 to hand in Salem, Virginia.
However, when Trinity College gathered to win 64-60 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the men fell just seconds below to win the first ever D-III title.
Belpelecchia led the Sumire (31-0) with 18 points, with four other players reaching double digits as the women won 62 times in a row.
“Being offensive in the first place was part of our game plan.” Perecchia said after victory. “Defense is the name of the game, and if you can defend, you can get attacked.”
Unfortunately, the quest for the NYU Men (29-2) to win their first Division III title in the first Championship appearance since 1994 was in pain.
Hampton Sanders (15 points) finished with a 60-56 NYU lead with 1:28 left, but couldn't hold onto it.
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Trinity ended the game with an 8-0 run and took the lead with a 3-pointer from Henry Better, making it 62-60 as 12.8 remained.
Sanders' three-point attempt hit the top of the backboard of his subsequent possessions, with Trinity sealing the game with two free throws to win his first D-III title.
As for NYU women, they are the third NCAA Division III women's team to record consecutive undefeated seasons and the fourth female team to win consecutive titles.
Violets' 62-game winning streak is the eighth longest in the history of NCAA women's basketball at any level.
“A winning streak wasn't important to me, and my goal was to win the championship,” coach Meg Barber said. “The way this team went to work every day. They take the game seriously and take pride in how they represent NYU uniforms every day.”
