Miscues Hurt No. 9 Tartans in Loss to Chicago

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team dropped an 81-61 decision to the University of Chicago on Sunday, January 29 in University Athletic Association (UAA) play. The ninth-ranked Tartans are now 15-3 on the year and 4-3 in the UAA, as the Maroons improve to 12-6 and 5-2.

Freshman Laurel Pereira (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) and senior Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) each scored 16 points for the Tartans while senior Jackie Hudepohl (Saratoga, Calif./Lynbrook (Colgate)) joined them in double figures with 11 points. Hudepohl led all players on the glass with 15 rebounds.

The Tartans hit their first two attempts from behind the arc with freshman Katharine Higgins (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) scoring the first and Hudepohl the second to lead 6-2. Freshman Dominique Petach (Pittsburgh, Pa./Norwin) put the Tartans up 8-2 with a jumper at the 7:31 mark before Chicago scored the next six to tie the game with 4:47 to go in the quarter.

Murphy gave the Tartans back the lead on a fastbreak layup off a feed from Petach but the Maroons closed the quarter on a 12-0 run to lead 20-10 at the first stoppage of play. The Tartans turned the ball over five times during the run and totaled 10 turnovers through the first 10 minutes.

Pereira's second jumper of the game cut the deficit to seven points, 38-31, with 1:31 to go before halftime but a three-pointer by Chicago's Taylor Lake put the Tartans in their largest halftime hole of the year, 41-31.

The Tartans shot well in the third quarter making 6-of-14 attempts but another nine turnovers limited their attempts and Chicago built a 17-point lead heading into the final period.

Chicago forced the Tartans into 31 total turnovers for the game and limited Murphy's touches as the center finished 4-of-4 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the line.

Nordstrom led all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting with Lake finishing with 15 points and Elizabeth Nye contributing 12 points.

The Tartans will see the Maroons next week on Sunday but will first face Washington University in St. Louis on Friday, February 3 on the Bears' home court. Tip in St. Louis is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.