Tartans Score 90+ For Second Straight Game

(MEADVILLE, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team scored more than 90 points for the second straight game, defeating Muskingum University 92-63, on Friday at the Allegheny College Tip-Off Tournament. Junior Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) let the Tartans, who are 2-0, with 27 points.

Muskingum's largest lead came at the 7:36 mark of the first quarter when Olivia Besancon made the Fighting Muskies' second three-pointer to give them an 8-4 lead. Senior Lindsay Poss (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) answered Besancon's trey with one of her own, draining her third straight shot of the night, 16 seconds later.

Junior Jackie Hudepohl (Saratoga, Calif./Lynbrook (Colgate)) gave the Tartans their first lead of the game, 13-11, with 5:15 to play in the first quarter with two free throws. The Tartans went on to hold the lead until Besancon drilled another three-pointer two minutes into the second period to put the Muskies ahead 23-22.

Freshman Jenn Mayberger (Chesterfield, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy) dropped in her own trey to give the Tartans back the lead and one they pushed to 10 points on a layup by Murphy with 4:55 to go before the half. Muskingum pulled within four points before Murphy scored seven straight to end the period and give the Tartans a 45-33 halftime lead.

The Tartans scored 26 points in the third period to the Muskies' 12 to extend their lead to 26. Three shots came from behind the arc while the team made 7-of-9 free throws.

Sophomore Kajae Jones (Fairfax, Va./Bishop O'Connell) led the Tartans in the fourth quarter with nine of her season-high 12 points, shooting 5-of-6 for the night. Fellow sophomore Njaire McKoy (Englewood Cliffs, N.J./Bergen County Tech./Peddie School) had a big second half, scoring all of her season-high 10 points in the final 20 minutes, including a 6-of-6 performance from the free throw line.

Murphy finished as the game's leading scorer with 27 points on 11-of-11 shooting from the field. Senior Liza Otto (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) joined Murphy, Jones, and McKoy in double-figure scoring with 12 points. Hudepohl finished with a game-high eight rebounds while Mayberger dished out a game and career-high eight assists. The Tartans tallied a season-high 25 assists on 34 made baskets.

Carnegie Mellon will be back on the court on Saturday, November 21 at 7:00 p.m. when they play host Allegheny College.