Tartans Topped at Home by Case Western Reserve, 74-63

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team hosted Case Western Reserve University in the University Athletic Association (UAA) opener for both teams on Saturday, January 5. The Spartans used runs in each quarter to thwart off the Tartans, as the home squad fell 74-63 to move to 9-3 overall and 0-1 in the UAA. The Spartans are now 8-3 and 1-0.

Carnegie Mellon was led by junior Makayla Filiere's (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) 14 points, five assists, and four steals. Senior Jenn Mayberger (Chesterfield, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy) recorded a season-best 12 points while dishing out four assists and picking up four steals to go with three blocked shots. Junior Laurel Pereira (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) scored 11 points off the bench for the Tartans, as freshman Caitlyn Clendenin (Bethesda, Md./Bethesda Chevy Chase) scored nine and grabbed a team-high seven boards.

The Tartans started with an 8-0 run that was answered by seven straight from the Spartans. With the Tartans leading 12-7, CWRU ended the first quarter on an 11-0 blitz to hold an 18-12 edge.

Carnegie Mellon started the second quarter much like the first with a 7-2 run which included their first three-pointer of the game off the hands of Mayberger. After a triple by CWRU and a jumper by freshman Leah Weslock (Howell, Mich./Howell), Mayberger drained another three-pointer which gave the Tartans back the lead at 24-23 with 6:08 to go in the half. The teams then traded a pair of three-pointers each and the Tartans led 32-31 with 4:13 showing on the clock.

The long range shots didn't stop falling for Case Western Reserve, as they hit four more to end the half with Kara Hageman hitting the ninth of the game for the Spartans with 11 seconds remaining to close a 15-4 surge for the visitors and a 47-36 halftime advantage.

The Tartans connected on 42.9% of their field goals in the first half with the Spartans showing out at 57.6% including 75.0% (9-of-12) from distance.

A 10-0 run by the Tartans in the fourth quarter spanned nearly six minutes and cut the deficit to three, 62-59, before back-to-back buckets by the Spartans put them back up 67-59 with three minutes to play.

The Tartans continued to force CWRU into turnovers but couldn't convert offensively. The Cardinal and Gray missed six straight from the field before putting in two baskets in the final 16 seconds but not before the Spartans extended the lead to double digits on free throws, making their final seven in the last 37 seconds.

The Spartans finished with a season-high 12 three-pointers and were led by senior Hillary Hellmann's 24 points and 11 rebounds. Lawrence scored a career-high 19 points while making 5-of-5 from long range to assist in the win for the visitors.

Carnegie Mellon will next host Brandeis University (5-6, 1-0) on Friday, January 11 at 6:00 p.m.