Otto Leads Tartans to 66-49 Win Against Grove City

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team was led by three players in double figures including a game-high 18 points from freshman Liza Otto (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) in a 66-49 home win against Grove City College on Tuesday night. The Tartans are now 2-1 on the season as Grove City drops its first contest to move to 1-1.

Grove City started the game 0-for-9 from the field which led to the Tartans' 9-0 advantage after the first six-and-a-half minutes but the Wolverines rebounded with a 13-0 run over the next five-and-a-half minutes before freshman Lindsay Poss (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) hit a layup to end the drought. The Tartans had 10 of their 16 first half turnovers during the scoreless span and were 0-for-6 from the field.

The Wolverines extended their lead to 18-11 before the Tartans scored on three straight possessions to tie the score at 18-18 with five minutes to play in the period.

Carnegie Mellon closed the half with a 16-4 run including 14 straight in which sophomore Gabrielle West (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) had seven points and Otto had six, including a three-pointer by each in the last minute. Sophomore Chandler Caufield (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) picked up three assists and two steals during the closing run.

Even with the Tartans scoring drought in the middle of the half, the team shot 44.8% from the floor to lead 34-22 at the break.

Carnegie Mellon stretched its lead to 22 points in the second half after a three-pointer by freshman Amanda McHenry (Branchburg, N.J./Somerville) at the 13:42 mark. The Wolverines didn't hit a field goal until 11:17 was left in the second period, as they scored on just four free throws since the four-minute mark of the first half.

A jumper by Otto with 5:52 to play gave the Tartans their biggest lead of the game at 25 as they went on to the 66-49 victory.

Carnegie Mellon finished with a shooting percentage of .453 compared to the Wolverines' .333 and outrebounded the visitor's 39-32 while scoring 17 second-chance points.

Otto also grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists to go with her career-high 18 points. Senior Emily Peel (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) tallied 13 points and six rebounds while West finished with 12 points, three assists and three steals. Poss led on the boards with nine while also scoring eight points.

The Wolverines were led by Kelsey Shirey's 18 points while Mary McDonald led with six rebounds.

The Tartans will next face Thiel College on Saturday, November 24 at 2:00 p.m. in Greenville, Pa.