No. 21 Tartans Drop First Contest of Year to No. 11 Washington U.

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The 21st-ranked Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team hosted 11th-ranked Washington University on Sunday, January 17 in University Athletic Association (UAA) action with the Bears earning the road win, 63-50. The Tartans are now 13-1 on the year and 2-1 in the UAA, as the Bears improve to 12-2 and 3-0.

Neither team shot particularly well for the game but the Tartans started 1-for-9 in the first quarter and were out-rebounded 15-9 for the period to trail 17-8 at the first break.

Washington U. led by as many as 15 in the second period but the Tartans cut it to 11, 30-19, at the half by making the final two baskets of the period. For the half, Carnegie Mellon shot 21.7% from the field while the Bears scored on 13-of-38 attempts for 34.2%.

The Bear lead stretched to 14 at the close of the third period, as Natalie Orr scored 14 of the team's 17 points, making five shots, including four straight from behind the arc. Sophomore Njaire McKoy (Englewood Cliffs, N.J./Bergen County Tech/Peddie School) connected on 3-of-3 from the field for the Tartans to score six of her season-high 13 points in the period.

Although shooting better in the second half (42.3%), the Tartans couldn't overcome the double-digit deficit.

Junior Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) led the Tartans with 18 points, converting 8-of-8 from the free throw line and 5-of-7 from the field. Junior Jackie Hudepohl (Saratoga, Calif./Lynbrook (Colgate)) was the top Tartan on the glass, grabbing 13 boards to go with seven points. Senior Liza Otto (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) contributed 10 points and eight boards in the defeat.

The Bears were led by Orr's 20 points off the bench. Steph Botkin dropped in 14 points off the bench while Jenn Dynis tallied 10 points. Jordan Thompson picked up seven assists while Katybeth Biewen collected five steals. The win marks Bears Head Coach Nancy Fahey's 700th career victory.

The Tartans will be back in action on Friday, January 22 when the visit Emory University (9-5, 0-3) at 6:00 p.m.