Women’s Basketball Stuns #11 Rochester 67-62

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team ended a 19-game losing streak to the #11 University of Rochester Yellowjackets with a stunning 67-62 victory Sunday afternoon in Skibo Gymnasium.  The University Athletic Association victory moves the Tartans record to 9-15, 3-10 while Rochester is now 19-5, 8-5.

Junior Emily Peel (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) turned in her 19th double-digit scoring performance to lead the charge for the Tartans, as she ended the contest with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting.  The junior also recorded a career-high seven blocks and hauled in seven rebounds in the win.  

The first half of play saw the lead change hands nine times with the last coming on sophomore Jacquie Shaw's (Portland, Ore./Grant) jumper at the 2:39 mark making the score 32-31 Carnegie Mellon. The Tartans extended the lead scoring two more buckets before the end of the half, holding a 36-31 advantage at the break.  

With the Tartans leading 54-49 with 7:36 to play in the contest, the home team scored nine straight points to claim its largest lead of the game (63-49) with five minutes remaining. Shaw scored four of her 17 points during the stretch with freshman Aspen McKeever (Durango, Colo./Durango) accounting for five of her career-high 14 points.

Rochester did not go away, as the Yellowjackets used a 13-2 run to pull within three (65-62) with 15 seconds showing on the clock.  Two clutch free throws by Shaw in the closing second sealed the upset victory for the Tartans.

The Tartans shot 48% from the floor and held Rochester to 39%. Carnegie Mellon held the edge on points in the paint 36-32 and turned 11 offensive rebounds into 17 points. Shaw and freshman Chandler Caufield (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) both had five assists for the Tartans while Shaw and senior Jennifer Larsen (Exeter, N.H./Exeter) each grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.

Jodie Luther led the Yellowjackets with a game-high 21 points.  Michelle Ketcham and Danielle McNabb each tallied 10.

The Tartans will play their final game of the season against Case Western Reserve University on Saturday, February 25 at home starting at 3:00 p.m.