Tartans Win Marietta Jim Meagle Turkey Shoot Tournament 62-57

(MARIETTA, Ohio) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team took on Marietta College in the championship game of the 30th Annual Tim Meagle Turkey Shoot on Sunday, November 30 at Marietta and defeated the Pioneers 62-57 to advance to 7-1 on the season.

The game was tied at the half, 29-29, as sophomore Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) led the Tartans with 14 points and seven rebounds.

The Tartans held a 10-7 lead after two free throws by freshman Kajae Jones (Fairfax, Va./Bishop O'Connell) but the Pioneers took their first lead of the game during a 8-0 run to make the score 15-10 in favor of the home team.

An 11-0 run for the Tartans, where Murphy made three shots in the lane, gave the Cardinal and Gray a 23-16 lead with 5:38 to play in the first half.

The teams traded hoops the remainder of the half as Murphy hit the last basket of the period to tie the score at 29 all.

Senior Chandler Caufield (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) drilled a three-pointer out of the break to give the Tartans a lead they wouldn't surrender until two free throws by Brooke Borich put Marietta up 36-35 with 12:16 to play.

Freshman Njaire McKoy (Englewood Cliffs, N.J./Bergen County Tech./Peddie School) answered with a jumper and free throw to give the Tartans back the lead, one they would extend to 55-42 after an and-one layup and free throw by junior Lindsay Poss (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) with 6:42 to go in the game, and hold until the end.

Murphy finished with a game-high 25 points and tied a career-high with 21 rebounds. The Tartans received strong minutes off the bench from Jones and freshman Zoe Zawisa (Baltimore, Md./Bryn Mawr) who finished with seven and five points, respectively. The pair of freshmen also helped the Tartans win the battle on the glass for the seventh time this season, hauling in eight and six rebounds apiece.

Both Murphy and Poss were named to the All-Tournament Team with Murphy receiving Lisa Wagner Most Valuable Player honors.

The Tartans will take a month off from game action as they won't be back on the court until hosting Westminster on Tuesday, December 30 at 4 p.m.