Tough Shooting Day Sinks Tartans at Rochester

(ROCHESTER, N.Y.) - The 20th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team ran into a strong seventh-ranked University of Rochester team on Sunday, January 24 in Rochester, falling 75-52. The Tartans are now 13-3 on the season and 2-3 in the University Athletic Association (UAA). The Yellowjackets move to 14-1 and 5-0.

Rochester started 7-of-8 and led 16-9 four minutes and 13 seconds into the game. A three-pointer by Jackie Hudepohl (Saratoga, Calif./Lynbrook (Colgate)) stopped a five-point run for the Yellowjackets and started a five-point run for the Tartans.

Carnegie Mellon finished the first quarter 8-of-13 from the field but trailed 26-21 after Lauren Deming drove the length of the quart for a layup at the buzzer.

Hudepohl opened the second period with a trey but the Yellowjackets quietly built their lead to nine, 39-30, with 3:43 to go in the half. The Tartans cut it to seven on a layup by junior Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) before Rochester closed the half with a 5-2 run to lead 44-34.

The Tartans hot first quarter flamed out in the second when they shot 29.4% from the floor. Conversely, the Yellowjackets stayed hot and shot 50.0% for the quarter and 51.4% for the half which is the best against the Tartans since November 30 when Carnegie Mellon surrendered a 54.3% shooting performance to La Roche College and the same 10-point halftime deficit.

Rochester outscored the Tartans 18-10 in the third quarter to build an 18-point lead, 62-44, at the last break. The Yellowjacket lead grew to as many as 28 in the final period.

The Tartans shot a season-low 31.5% from the floor. Hudepohl led the Tartans with 13 points while Murphy scored a season-low 12 points.

Carnegie Mellon will return to action on Friday, January 29 at ninth-ranked New York University with a scheduled start time of 6:00 p.m.