Quick Start Leads Tartans to 19-Point Home Win Against Denison

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - Three players scored in double figures with junior Josh Berry (Western Springs, Ill. / Lyons Township) recording a career-high 17 points in the Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball 77-58 home win against Denison University on Saturday, December 11. The Tartans are now 5-2 for the year while the Big Red move to 4-6.

The Tartans built a 12-0 lead over the first four minutes and 26 seconds of play as Denison committed five turnovers and missed three shots.

At the 12-minute mark, the Tartans led 16-4 after a layup by senior Charlie Tripp (Cincinnati, Ohio / Mariemont). The Big Red then pulled within six points with a 7-1 run but the Tartans answered with a 9-2 run to lead by 15 following a layup by junior Sean Oberman (Flemington, N.J. / Hunterdon Central) with seven minutes to play.

Tripp's steal and fastbreak layup put Carnegie Mellon up 37-19 with two minutes to play in the first half before the home squad led 39-22 at the break.

The Tartans shot 42.4% from the floor for the half while making 9-of-12 free throws. The Big Red shot 27.3% and made just 2-of-10 attempts from the free throw line.

Junior Nick Nakasian (Powell, Ohio / Olentangy Liberty) had nine points and seven rebounds to lead the Tartans while sophomore R.J. Holmes (Buffalo Grove, Ill. / Adlai Stevenson) scored eight and grabbed six boards in the first frame.

The Tartans scored the first nine points of the second half with back-to-back layups by junior Kevin Sax (Highlands Ranch, Colo. / Thunder Ridge), a three-pointer by Berry and a jumper by Holmes.

With the Tartans later leading 50-34, Nakasian made two straight buckets, the first four points of his 12-point half, to have the team lead by 19 once again.

Berry drained three triples in the second half on his way to 10 points for the period and a career-best four shots made from long range.

Nakasian finished as the game's high scorer with 21 points while he also recorded his first career double-double with 10 rebounds, also a career-high.

Holmes recorded his third double-double of the season collecting 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Another career-high was registered by Sax who had five assists in the game to go with eight rebounds and five points.

The Tartans will next host Geneva College on Monday, December 13 at 7:30 p.m.