Late Lead Lost as Tartans Fall 79-71 to #9 Hamilton

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball team hosted ninth-ranked Hamiton College on Sunday in the championship game of the Carnegie Mellon DoubleTree Invitational. A late lead by the Tartans didn't hold, as the Continentals won 79-71 to stay undefeated while the Tartans move to 1-4.

Carnegie Mellon juniors Trent Suddeth (Winter Park, Fla. / Trinity Prep) and Zach Howarth (Freehold, N.J. / St. John Vianney) each scored 16 points while Suddeth recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds. Senior guard Seth Henry (Fulton, Md. / Reservoir) scored nine points, had nine rebounds, and picked up three steals. Suddeth and Henry were named to the all-tournament team.

The Tartans were big on the boards, outrebounding the Continentals by 12, but handed the ball over 22 times for the gamewhich  led to 27 points for the visitors.

The Tartans kept the score close, trailing by just five at halftime after making just one long range shot. It was the shot from distance that gave the Tartans the lead late in the game. Sophomore Ethan Miller (King of Prussia, Pa. / Upper Merion) hit a three-pointer to give the Tartans a 60-59 lead with seven minutes to play and the home squad's first lead since a Zach Watson (Dublin, Ohio / Jerome) layup with 6:37 to play in the first half made it 29-28.

Following Miller's triple was another by Howarth to make it 63-61 but a 7-0 run by Hamilton gave them back the cushion they needed, as the Tartans couldn't get closer than three points in the final 4:29.

The Tartans will be back in action on Wednesday, November 28 at Allegheny College at 7:00 p.m.