Murphy Scores 1,000th Point, Leads Tartans Past W&J, 95-63

Murphy Scores 1,000th Point, Leads Tartans Past W&J, 95-63

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - D3hoops.com preseason All-American honoree junior Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) became the 10th Tartan to score 1,000 career points when she led the Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team to a 95-63 victory against Washington & Jefferson College on Friday, November 13 to open the 2015-2016 season. Murphy needed 32 points to reach the milestone and scored 33 to lead four Tartans in double digits.

The Tartans jumped out to an 11-0 lead three-and-a-half minutes into the game with Murphy accounting for six points. That 11-point lead was cut to six by the Presidents with 1:49 to go in the first quarter before the Tartans took a 22-12 lead into the first break when Murphy and junior Jackie Hudepohl (Saratoga, Calif./Lynbrook) each hit baskets to close out the quarter.

A 10-point run by the Tartans to start the second quarter gave them a 32-12 advantage after sophomore Zoe Zawisa (Baltimore, Md./Bryn Mawr) hit a jump shot following a defensive rebound by sophomore Anna Novak (San Antonio, Texas/Alamo Heights). Senior Liza Otto (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) began and ended the second period with scoring plays for the Tartans, leading the team for the quarter with seven points, as the Tartans held a 47-26 halftime lead.

Rebounding was key for the Tartans during the first half, as they pulled down 32 boards compared to 19 by the Presidents. Twenty-four of those rebounds were on the defensive glass, as the Presidents shot just 24.4% from the floor, while the Tartans converted 18-of-37 from the floor for 48.6%.

Murphy scored 10 of the team's 18 points in the third period and put herself nine points away from 1,000 career points heading into the final period.

With just under four minutes to go in the game, Murphy connected on back-to-back layups putting the Tartans up 84-56. The second basket gave her 33 points for the game and 1,001 points for her career.

The Tartans went on to score 11 more points in the final three minutes, as sophomore Madison Watson (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) hit a jumper and a three-pointer for her first career points after sitting out her freshman season with an injury.

For the game, the Tartans shot 54.1% from the floor and out-rebounded the Presidents 55-38. Murphy led all scorers with 33 points in 26 minutes played. She also grabbed 11 rebounds for her 26th career double-double. Joining Murphy with double-digit scoring performances were Otto and Hudepohl with 14 points and Novak with 10. Freshman Jenn Mayberger pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out six of the Tartans' 24 assists.

The Presidents were led by Beka Bellhy's 16 points and nine rebounds while Amirah Moore scored 11 points and Taley Dunaway tallied 10 points.

The Tartans return to action on Friday, November 20 against Muskingum University at the Allegheny College Tip-Off Tournament at 4:00 p.m.

See Murphy record her 1,000th career point below.