Late Run Not Enough as Tartans Fall 81-74

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – A late second-half run by the Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball team was not quite enough as the University of Rochester Yellowjackets stole a road win in University Athletic Association action Sunday. The Yellowjackets used an 85% shooting performance from the free throw line to take down the Tartans 81-74.

The visiting Yellowjackets (16-8, 7-6) found the goal 52% of the time in the first half and used a 12-0 run with under seven minutes before the break to build an eight-point halftime lead, 38-30.

The Tartans (8-16, 3-10) first lead of the first half came at the 11:18 mark when senior John Duhring (Round Hill, Va./Saint Maria Goretti) hit a jumper in the paint to make the score 15-13. Prior to Duhring's basket, sophomore Rashaun Riley (Houston, Texas/Cypress Creek) hit a three-pointer to tie  the score at 13 apiece.

Sophomore Christian Manoli (San Rafael, Calif./Terra Linda) later tied the score at 21-21 with 6:54 to play before Rochester scored 12 straight behind two three-pointers by Chris Dende. The Tartans missed five shots during the Yellowjackets run.

Carnegie Mellon answered the Yellowjackets with a three straight baskets to bring the deficit to five with 2:15 to go. Riley hit a three-pointer and a layup around a fastbreak layup by sophomore Sean Brophy (Blue Bell, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep).

During the half, the Tartans hit just as many shots from the field as the Yellowjackets, shooting 48%, but the visitors got to the free throw line 14 times making 10, to the Tartans 3-for-5 performance.

The Tartans opened the second period with four straight but the Yellowjackets quickly turned their lead back to double digits with a 9-0 run to lead 52-38 with 12:46 to play.

At the 8:55 mark, junior Andre Moore (Bowie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) ingnited a 13-0 run with two free throws and scored five points during the dash that eventually tied the game at 62-62 on a Riley trey after a Moore defensive rebound at 6:08. Brophy also contributed five points during the run.

After two free throws by Rochester's John DiBartolomeo, Moore hit a three-pointer to give the Tartans their first lead since the 11:18 point of the first period.

The Yellowjackets took back control when a trey by Dende followed a jumper in the paint by Riley that gave the Tartans a three-point lead with 4:37. Dende's shot from behind the arc fueled a 10-0 run that gave the Yellowjackets a seven-point advantage with two minutes to go.

The Tartans weren't able to climb the last hurdle falling by the 81-74 final as free throws proved to be the difference in the game. The Yellowjackets made 29 of 34 attempts to the Tartans' 19 of 25. Rochester finished the game shooting 54.8% from the field to the Tartans' 53.2%.

Riley led the Tartans with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. Brophy finished with his first career double-double recording career-highs with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Moore finished with eight points and tied a career-high with five rebounds.

The Yellowjackets were led by DiBartolomeo's and Nate Novosel's 20 points each while Dende finished with 18.

The Tartans will play their final game of the season against Case Western Reserve University on Saturday, February 25 at home starting at 5:00 p.m.