Brophy Steal in Final Second Leads to Tartan Victory

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – A defensive stand by the Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball team in the final 22 seconds of the game led to a 56-55 home victory for the Tartans over New York University on Sunday, February 10. With the win, the Tartans earn their second University Athletic Association (UAA) victory and improve to 5-17 while the Violets fall to 13-9 and 3-8.

The Tartans took the lead for good on a basket by sophomore Kevin Stursberg (Ponte Verde Beach, Fla./Episcopal) with 6:27 to play but the game wasn't secured until the final second when senior Sean Brophy (Blue Bell, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) closed out a 22-second defensive stand with a steal under the basket on a play that nearly led to an NYU game-winning layup.

A layup by sophomore Jasen Blakney (Raleigh, N.C./Enloe) four-and-a-half minutes into the second period gave the Tartans a nine-point lead before NYU found their shooting touch and put down an 11-2 run to tie the game at 43-43 with 10:22 to go.

Junior Asad Meghani (Carrollton, Texas/Greenhill School) made the Tartans' final three-pointer of the afternoon to give the team back the lead at 46-43 and despite the Violets tying the score on three more occasions, the home squad never trailed since their first lead with two minutes to go in the first half.

Back-and-forth play was the story to the first 10 minutes of the game as sophomore Matt Loebbaka (Mt. Prospect, Ill./Prospect) tied the game at 16-16 with a layup at 9:20. NYU then went on an 8-2 run to take its largest lead of the half at four minutes later at 24-18 behind six points from Devin Karch.

A Brophy jumper and three-pointer started a 17-4 run which closed the final 3:44 of the first half. Junior Rob Mohen (Stamford, Conn./Regis (NYC)) hit a jumper that gave the Tartans their first lead at 25-24. Meghani then followed Mohen's and-one play in the lane with a four-point play and drained three free throws with six seconds to go after getting fouled attempting a trey.

The Violets scored 10 second chance points after pulling down seven of their 20 first half rebounds from the offensive glass but the Tartans 46% field goal performance led to the 35-28 halftime lead.

The Tartans shot a season-best 85.7% from the free throw line, including a 2-2 performance by junior Rashaun Riley (Houston, Texas/Cypress Creek) in the final minute.

Meghani led with 15 points as Loebbaka finished with 10 points, making 4-of-5 from the field. Brophy came off the bench to score seven on a 3-for-3 performance while Mohen tied a career high with 10 boards. Senior Andre Moore (Bowie, Md./Archbishop Splading) picked up three more steals and three assists to close his career in Skibo Gymnasium and is now seventh all time in steals with 112.

The Tartans will play their final three games on the road beginning with an 8:00 p.m. contest at the #4 Univesity of Rochester on Friday, February 15.