Young Tartans Fall to #20 Rochester

Young Tartans Fall to #20 Rochester

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team hosted 20th-ranked University of Rochester on Sunday afternoon, falling to the Yellowjackets, 70-53, in University Athletic Association (UAA) action. The Tartans are now 9-13 for the year and 1-10 in the UAA with the Yellowjackets sitting at 18-4 and 8-3.

The Tartans were led by sophomore Makayla Filiere's (Chandler, Ariz. / Hamilton) 21 points and six steals. Three others tallied seven points in sophomore Laura Ochsner (Chester Springs, Pa. / Downingtown STEM Academy), sophomore Megan Jaeb (San Jose, Calif. / Presentation), and freshman Kylie Huffman (California, Pa. / Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic). Ochsner led the Tartans with seven rebounds.

Rochester's Alexandra Leslie scored seven of the team's first 11 points, as the Yellowjackets opened with an 11-4 advantage. Sophomore Katharine Higgins (Montclair, N.J. / Montclair) hit a free throw and Filiere dropped in a three-pointer to pull the Tartans within three points with 3:54 to go in the first quarter.

The Tartans forced six Rochester turnovers in the first quarter but shot just 23.5 percent from the floor to trail 20-12 at the first break.

While the Tartans held Leslie scoreless over the final six minutes of the first quarter, she came out in the second and scored 10 to lead the Yellowjackets to a 40-24 halftime lead. Leslie scored 17 of her game-high 23 points in the first half.

The best quarter of the game for the Tartans was the fourth when they shot 43.8 percent. Filiere scored 11 points that quarter and grabbed four steals while playing all 10 minutes.

The Tartans will next play on the road Friday, February 16 at the University of Chicago at 8:00 p.m.