Tartans Topple #3 WashU in Overtime

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball team topped third-ranked Washington University in St Louis at home on Friday, 71-68, in overtime after leading for all but 44 seconds of regulation. The Tartans are now 9-6 overall and 2-3 in the University Athletic Association (UAA) while the Bears fall for the second time this season and are 14-2 and 4-1.

The Tartans led the Bears by as many as 13 points in the second half before the Bears slowly cut into the deficit to take a one-point lead with 3:33 to play. A driving layup by sophomore Jack Stone (Newport Beach, Calif. / Corona Del Mar) gave the Tartans back the led and sophomore R.J. Holmes (Buffalo Grove, Ill. / Adlai Stevenson) scored with another layup to go up by three. The Bears hit back-to-back jump shots in the paint to retake the lead with 54 second left but junior Sean Oberman (Flemington, N.J. / Hunterdon Central) converted one of two free throws two possessions later to tie the score before he came up with a steal at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.

The lead switched hands nine times in the five-minute overtime period with the Tartans prevailing on a layup by Oberman and two free throws by junior Josh Berry (Western Springs, Ill. / Lyons Township) with six seconds left. A three-pointer by Jack Nolan at the buzzer fell short and the Tartans defeated the Bears for the tenth time in series history.

Holmes led the Tartans with 20 points and eight rebounds with 10 points coming in the second half. Stone finished with 14 points with Oberman scoring 12 points.

Nolan led the Bears with 22 points as the team shot 36.2% from the field, their lowest showing since their second game of the season.

The Tartans will next host the University of Chicago on Sunday, January 30 at 12:00 p.m.