Meghani’s Jumper Lifts Tartans Over Chicago in Overtime

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Junior Asad Meghani (Dallas, Texas/The Greenhill School) connected on a jumper with 8.8 seconds left in overtime, as the Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball team won a thriller over the University of Chicago on Sunday, 75-74.  The University Athletic Association victory moves the Tartans' record to 4-14 and 1-6 while the Maroons are now 8-10, 2-5.

In the overtime frame, the Tartans took a three-point lead on a converted and-one by junior Rashaun Riley (Houston, Texas/Cypress Creek), but Alex Piper responded with a trey from the top of the arc on the next possession. Piper later connected on his second three-pointer in overtime to give Chicago a 72-71 edge.   Tartan sophomore Seth Cordts' (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan) reverse layup put the home team back ahead, but with 19 seconds left in the overtime, Chicago's Matt MacKenzie made two from the charity stripe to give the Maroons a 74-73 advantage. A few seconds later, Meghani hit the game-winner from the baseline.

Riley gave the Tartans a 9-5 lead on a long ball, but Chicago then used a 12-2 run to claim a 17-11 lead with 13:39 to play in the first stanza.

With the Maroons leading 27-21 with just under nine minutes showing on the clock, Carnegie Mellon closed the first half on an 11-3 run to lead 33-30 at the break.  For the second straight game Riley led all scorers after 20 minutes, as he collected 12 points, including 2-of-3 shooting from behind the arc.  

Carnegie Mellon shot 62% from the field in the first half, including 4-of-5 from behind the arc while Chicago shot 46% and connected on 3-of-11 from long range.

Chicago grabbed the lead after scoring the first six points of the second half, but Meghani's trey knotted the score at 44-44 six minutes in.  Over the next three minutes, the lead changed five times with the last coming on a Riley jumper at the 10:15 mark, making the score 50-49.  Riley's jumper started a scoring run of eight straight for the Tartans, as they extended the lead to 56-49 with 7:44 to play in regulation.

The visitors used a 9-2 run to tie the game at 58-58, but a pair of made foul shots by junior Rob Mohen (Stamford, Conn./Regis (NY)) and a jumper by Meghani pushed the lead back to four for the Tartans.  Carnegie Mellon then claimed a 66-61 lead with 1:48 to play, but a layup by Charlie Hughes with a minute remaining, followed by a banked three-pointer by Hughes with 2.2 second left in regulation sent the game to overtime tied at 66-66.


The Tartans finished the game with a season-high field goal percentage, shooting 58.8% while tying a season-best in three-point field goal percentage (50.0%).  Chicago shot 45.2% from the field in the loss.  Carnegie Mellon dominated inside, outscoring the Maroons 38-20 in the paint.

Three Tartans scored in double figures, with Meghani leading the way with 18 points.  Riley ended the game with 17 points and Mohen scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field.

Chicago was led by Hughes' 18 points and Pyper's 17 while Sam Gage tallied 12.

Carnegie Mellon will head west to play Washington University Friday, February 1 at 8:00 p.m. CT before traveling to Chicago for a rematch against the Maroons at 12:00 p.m. CT Sunday, February 3.