Murphy's 29 Points Not Enough in Tartans' Loss at Case Western Reserve

(CLEVELAND, Ohio) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team closed its season at Case Western Reserve University on Saturday, February 28. The Spartans pulled out an 82-66 win as sophomore Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) finished the year averaging 20.2 points and 10.2 rebounds to become just the second Tartan to average a double-double for a season.

Case Western (9-16, 3-11) jumped out to a 13-0 lead before the Tartans (12-13, 3-11) rallied with a 10-2 run to make the score 15-10 Spartans with 12:52 to go in the half. Senior Chandler Caufield (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) hit the Tartans' first shot of the game, a three-pointer, after the team started 0-for-7 from the floor.

After trading baskets, the Spartans held a 14-point lead with four minutes to play in the half. Caufield scored the Tartans' final basket of the half, another trey, and the Spartans led 40-31.

Junior Lindsay Poss (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) hit two shot in the first three minutes of the second half, the second of which pulled the Tartans within two points, 42-40.

A five-player substitution by the Spartans stopped the Tartans run and led to eight straight points by the Spartans on three consecutive baskets to push the home team's lead back to double-digits, 50-40, with 14:47 to play.

Three minutes later, a three-pointer by Poss brought the Tartans within seven points but that was a close as they would get as Case Western went on to the 82-66 victory.

Murphy was a consistent scorer for the Tartans throughout the game, connecting on 9-of-13 from the floor and 11-of-13 from the free throw line to tally 29 points. She also grabbed 14 rebounds to close the year with an average of 20.2 points and 10.2 rebounds a game.

Poss, as well as Caufield, finished with 10 points for the Tartans who shot 40.4% from the floor to the Spartans' 51.7%.