Barrage of Threes Lead Tartans Past Eagles, 85-74

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team evened its record at 12-12 with an 85-74 victory over visiting Emory University on Sunday, February 22. Freshman Anna Novak (San Antonio, Texas/Alamo Heights) opened the game with a three-pointer and the long distance shot would be kind to the Tartans all game as they converted 10-of-15 for their best showing (.667) from behind the arc all season.

The Tartans (12-12, 3-10) started 5-of-6 from the field and took a 13-7 lead behind two three-pointers and five points from sophomore Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean). Following a six-point run by Emory (12-12, 4-9) that tied the game, senior MacKenzie Boyd (Plano, Texas/Plano West) drained a three-pointer and a jumper on two straight possessions to give the Tartans back the lead, 18-13, with six minutes gone in the game.

Boyd was the scorer again after Emory retook the lead 19-18, when she nailed another three-pointer to give the Tartans back the lead, one they would hold for the remainder of the game.

Seven three-pointers in the first half helped the Tartans hold a 39-35 edge at the break.

Junior Liza Otto (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) made her third trey of the game with 15:37 to play, giving the Tartans their first double-digit lead at 52-42.

Ten of the next 13 points for the Tartans came inside the paint and all from Murphy. That string also gave the home team its largest lead of the game at 18 points, 65-47, with half the period left to play.

The Eagles cut the deficit to nine with five minutes to go but that was as close as they would come, as the Tartans finished 14-of-16 from the free throw line.

Murphy led all scorers with 29 points while she pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked two shots. Those two blocks give her 66 for the year which is a new school single-season record, while her double-double is her 11th of the season.

Senior Chandler Caufield (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) and Boyd, both playing in their final UAA home game, scored season highs with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Caufield drained three from behind the arc and matched a career-high with five free throws made while Boyd dished out a game best six assists.

The Tartans will next face Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday, February 28, in the regular season finale.