Men’s Basketball Drops UAA Contest at Brandeis

(WALTHAM, Mass.) - The Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball team traveled to Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. on Friday, February 13 and dropped a 68-57 University Athletic Association (UAA) contest. Carnegie Mellon is now 12-9, 3-7 while Brandeis moves to 8-13, 3-7.

Brandeis started the contest on a 16-4 run over the first nine minutes as the home team converted five of its first seven shots while Carnegie Mellon started 1-of-7 from the floor. Over the next seven minutes, the Tartans used an 11-2 run to climb back into the contest and trailed 18-15 following a long ball by freshman Thomas Cook (Gwynn Oak, Md./Carver Arts & Tech.).

Carnegie Mellon connected on five of its final six shots of the half and trailed at the break 25-19. Over the first 20 minutes, the Tartans shot 36.8% from the floor to the Judges' 39.1%.

The Tartans trailed 46-37 with 11 minutes to play before rattling off six points on three straight possessions. Brandeis answered with three-point baskets by Nate Meehan and Samuel Dowden sandwiched with a layup by Carnegie Mellon's sophomore Chris Shkil (Mentor, Ohio/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) which made the score 52-45 in favor of the home team with 7:51 to play.

Carnegie Mellon cut the lead to five at 60-55 on another layup by Shkil with two minutes to play, but Brandeis went perfect from the line down the stretch converting all eight to hold on for the 68-57 victory.

Both teams improved from the field in the second half, as Carnegie Mellon shot 47.1% from the floor for the game to Brandies' 47.8%. The Judges held the advantage on the glass 30-24.  Three Tartans scored in double figures with sophomore Jack Serbin (New Albany, Ohio) leading the way with 18 points. Senior Seth Cordts (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan) finished with 16 and Shkil had 12. Shkil finished with a team-high eight rebounds and added three blocks along with Serbin.

Brandeis was led by a game-high 20 points from Tim Reale. Vilmont Robinson and Jordan Cooper chipped in with 13 and 11, respectively.

The Tartans will continue UAA play on Sunday, February 15 when they travel to the Big Apple to face New York University at 12:00 p.m.