Big Fourth Quarter Propels Tartans to 66-59 Road Victory versus Rochester

(ROCHESTER, N.Y.) - A big fourth quarter drove the Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team to a 66-59 road win against the University of Rochester on Friday, January 18. The Tartans pick up their first University Athletic Association (UAA) win and are now 10-5 for the season. The Yellowjackets drop to 6-9 and 0-4.

Freshman Leah Weslock (Howell, Mich. / Howell) led three Tartans in double figures with 19 points. Junior Katie Higgins (Montclair, N.J. / Montclair) scored a season-high 18 points with junior Makayla Filiere (Chandler, Ariz. / Hamilton) contributing 14 points. The Tartans spread the ball around with 13 team assists and picked up a season-high 19 steals with Filiere leading with six. 

The Yellowjackets held a 13-10 edge at the end of the first quarter before starting the second quarter making 5-of-6 from the field to lead 25-16 with 6:11 to play in the half. The Tartans turned up the defense and forced Rochester into four turnovers while converting on the offensive end to take their first lead, 27-25, on a layup by Higgins and 3:49 to go.

Rochester returned to the court after a timeout to string together a 9-0 run before the half ended with the home team leading by five, 34-29.

The Tartans slowly chipped away at the deficit, coming within two points, 39-37, during the third quarter before trailing 44-41 at the last break.

Fourth quarter shooting was the difference for the Cardinal and Gray, as they opened the frame making 6-of-8 from the field while holding Rochester to just one bucket in four minutes of action to lead 55-47. During the run, Filiere scored seven straight after recording just three points in the first three quarters.

Rochester made it a two-point game when Jamie Boeheim scored on a layup with 4:31 to play but the Tartans quickly added to their lead with a layup by junior Laurel Pereira (Naperville, Ill. / Naperville North) and a three-pointer by Weslock on back-to-back possessions.

The Yellowjackets were led by Julianna Okoniewski's 14 points while the Tartans held Lena Ethington to 10 points, all scored in the first half.

The Tartans will next visit Emory University (10-5, 1-3) on Sunday, January 20 at 2:00 p.m.