THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran men's basketball (3-2, 0-0 SCIAC) battled throughout Wednesday afternoon's matchup, but the Kingsmen couldn't overcome a cold shooting day, falling 78-63 to visiting NYU (5-0, 0-0 UAA).

NYU opened the game on a 5-0 run, before Camden Hyde got the Kingsmen on the board with a three. Makaio Morphy added a jumper to keep Cal Lutheran within striking distance at 9-5. But NYU answered quickly, using a series of offensive rebounds and a pair of threes to extend its lead to double digits midway through the half.

Cal Lutheran continued to generate looks from deep but struggled to convert through long stretches of the half. Jaden Young knocked down a three to make it 17-9, and Matthew Verkamp later added a jumper to cut the gap to 17-11. Ryder Mjoen gave the Kingsmen a lift off the bench with a three that trimmed the deficit to 21-15, and Aidan Crawford finished a nifty fast-break layup to keep Cal Lutheran within reach.

However, NYU closed the half with a strong push, capitalizing on turnovers to extend its lead. Mjoen connected on another deep three in the final minute, but the Kingsmen went into halftime trailing 30-22.

NYU struck quickly to open the second half, converting a steal into a fast-break layup to grow its advantage. Cal Lutheran chipped away at the Violets' lead with mid-range jumpers from Young and freshman PJ Jourdain, and Mjoen caught fire again, knocking down a jumper and a three to bring the Kingsmen as close as 38-31. A Verkamp jumper and a three from Jourdain made it 42-36, highlighting one of Cal Lutheran's strongest pushes of the afternoon.

Each time Cal Lutheran made a run, however, NYU answered. Despite generating turnovers and finding rhythm in spurts, the Kingsmen couldn't convert enough baskets to fully close the gap.

Cal Lutheran saw strong individual performances despite the loss, highlighted by Ryder Mjoen's standout afternoon. He led all Kingsmen scorers with 17 points and delivered the team's most efficient shooting performance, including five made three-pointers. Jaden Young provided additional offensive support with 12 points.

While early shooting struggles put the Kingsmen at a disadvantage, they responded with a sharper offensive effort after the break. Their field-goal percentage jumped from 28.6% in the first half to 50% in the second, and their three-point shooting improved as well, rising from 21.1% to 37.5%.

NYU, however, created separation through its advantage in transition and on the offensive glass. The visitors outscored the Kingsmen 23-11 on fast breaks and controlled second-chance opportunities by an 18-5 difference. Those extra possessions and timely points ultimately proved too much for Cal Lutheran to overcome.

The Kingsmen return to action at home on Friday at 5pm as they take on George Fox.