Zay Freeney poured in 19 points as NYU came up with the big win on the road. Photo by Chris Mitchell

Playing for undisputed possession of first place in the University Athletic Associatiion, No. 5 New York University led from start to finish in a 77-62 victory at No. 6 Washington University in St. Louis. The Violets (17-1, 6-1) and Bears (15-3, 5-2) began the game tied for first place in the UAA.

NYU jumped out to an 8-0 lead and never trailed. The lead grew to as many as 22 points, 35-13, in the first half on Brock Susko's layup with 4:30 remaining.

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WashU cut its deficit to 17 points, but NYU established a 39-18 lead at halftime. The Violets shot 53.1 percent (17-of-32) over the first 20 minutes while holding the Bears to just 25 percent (7-of-28) from the field.

The host Bears came roaring out of hibernation in the second half, cutting the lead to six points, 44-38, with just over 14 minutes to play. However, the Violets did not let them get any closer.

It was still close at 58-49, when Hampton Sanders took control for the Violets. He hit a three-pointer and then a layup to create some space, and added another layup down the stretch to help NYU seal the deal.

"My teammates gave me the ball and said you're having a day so go show out," Sanders said. "Whoever it is on any given day can go get buckets."

Sanders finished with 19 points, as did Zay Freeney. Susko recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds while adding a game-high four assists.

Tristan How grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds to go with eight points, and Emmanuel Onuama contributed 14 points while only missing one shot (6-of-7 FG, 2-of-2 FT).

The Violets finished the game with a 50-24 advantage in points in the paint.

NYU's victory over the University of Chicago on Friday and today's win vs. WashU marked the first time since the 2011-12 season that the Violets have posted a sweep of their Midwest trip.