Tartans Win Thriller at Brandeis, 80-77

(WALTHAM, Mass.) – The Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball team traveled to Waltham, Massachusetts for a Friday night University Athletic Association (UAA) contest against the Judges of Brandeis University and left with an 80-77 victory.

Game Information
Carnegie Mellon 80, Brandeis 77
Records: Carnegie Mellon (13-8, 5-5 UAA), Brandeis (13-8, 4-6 UAA)
Location: Waltham, Mass. (Red Auerbach Arena)

How it Happened

• Brandeis took a 14-10 advantage with 14:19 on the clock before the Tartans scored seven of the next eight points and grabbed a 17-15 lead on a three-point bucket by Buckley DeJardin.
• A minute later, Ryan Power hit a triple of his own to give the lead back to the home team with 10:36 to play in the first half at 18-17.
• The Tartans answered scoring four straight and extended it to an 8-2 run to take their largest lead of the half at 25-20 with 6:41 on the clock.
• The Judges then closed the half on a 20-5 run and led 40-30 at the break.
• Carnegie Mellon opened the second half scoring the first seven points to cut the deficit 40-37 at the 17:36 mark.
• The Cardinal and Gray run expanded to 16-5 of the first 4:46 of the half and ended on a layup by senior R.J. Holmes that game the Tartans a 46-45 lead.
• Over the next six minutes there were six lead changes with the score tied twice and at the 8:33 mark with score knotted at 61-all, Brandeis' Aedan Using connected on a layup to give the Judges a two-point advantage.
• Brandeis held the lead until sophomore Justin Allen hit a triple with 3:06 to play in regulation that made the score 71-69 in favor of the Tartans.
• From there, the lead changed four time again with two additional ties, but with 1:16 to play Allen was fouled on a driving layup that dropped and then converted the traditional three-point play that gave Carnegie Mellon a 78-75 advantage.
• With 56 ticks on the clock, Brandeis' Matthew Cadogan converted a layup that made the score 78-77, but with 6.5 seconds on the clock Allen converted another driving layup that made the score 80-77.
• Brandeis has a chance to tie the score but a three-point attempt by Sam Adusei as time expired fell short.

Tartans Stats

• The Tartans shot 52.6% from the floor while converting 7-of-19 from behind the arc for 36.8%
• After being held scoreless in the first half and held to two shots, the UAA leading scorer Allen finished with a game-high 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the floor.
• Junior Nolan Casey ended the game with a career-high 16 points while grabbing a team-best eight rebounds. The junior also added a career-high three steals in the win.
• Holmes ended the game with 14 points with junior Jonathan Milloway chipping in with 10.

Judges Stats

• The Judges shot 47.4% from the floor while converting 9-of-25 from behind the arc for 36.0%
• Gilbert Otoo led Brandeis with 22 points while Adusei finished with 20.

Game Notes

• The Tartans shot above 50% for the fifth time this season and twice in the last three contests.
• Carnegie Mellon has now won 16 straight games when shooting 50%.
• It was Allen's fifth straight game scoring 20 or more points and six in the last seven games. He now has scored 20 or more in 13 contests this season.
• Holmes has 979 career points. He needs 21 points to become the 21st Tartan to reach 1,000 points for their career.

Up Next

• Carnegie Mellon will travel to 11th-ranked NYU for a 12:00 p.m. tip om Sunday, February 11.