#19 Tartans Fall to Washington & Jefferson 84-73

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The 19th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball team hosted Washington & Jefferson College on Tuesday afternoon. The Tartans fell to the Presidents 84-73 which moves Carnegie Mellon's overall record to 7-2 overall, as the Presidents are now 8-3.

 Inside the Box Score

• After the Presidents scored the first five points of the games, the Tartans called for a timeout with 17 minutes remaining in the first half.
• With 16:31 showing on the clock in the first half, graduate student R.J. Holmes scored the first points for the Tartans with a dunk assisted by junior Buckley DeJardin. Then, DeJardin followed with a layup.
• Two minutes later, junior Justin Allen scored six straight for the Cardinal and Gray to put the home team ahead 10-7 with 14 minutes to play in the half.
• With a series of plays including two three-pointers, one by Allen and the other of the hands of freshman Alex Hassanein, the Tartans upped their lead to 16-11.
• The Tartans lead got to as many as six when Allen connected on a triple at the midway point of the frame to put the score at 21-15.
• The Tartans held the lead over the next eight minutes before the Presidents scored the final eight points of the half and went onto the locker room with a 35-31 advantage.
• Three-and-a-half minutes into the second half, a pair of triples by the Presidents upped their lead to 50-37.
• At the 12:23 mark of the second held W&J led 54-43, but the Tartans rattled off six straight points making it a 54-49 contest with just under 11 minutes to play.
• The Presidents responded with an 11-2 run over the next five minutes and went on for the 84-73 victory.

 Tartan Stats

• The Tartans shot 46.2% (30-65) from the floor and converted 7-of-23 from behind the arc for 30.4%.
• The Tartans had 40 rebounds and 14 assists.
• Allen scored 36 of the Tartans 73 points. He made 15-of-19 from the floor and 3-of-6 from behind the arc.
• Holmes had nine points and a team-high of 12 rebounds.
• Higgs finished with nine points and a career-high of five assists.

 President Stats

• The Presidents shot 43.1% (28-65) from the floor and converted 4-of-13 from behind the arc for 30.8%.
• The Presidents had 39 rebounds and 10 assists.
• Michael Plasko had a team-high of 20 points.
• Nathan Plotner scored 18 points and a team-high of 10 rebounds.

 Notes

• The 36 points for Allen tied a season-high and is his third game this season he has scored 30 or more. He has seven career games of scoring 30 or more.

 Up Next

The Tartans will travel to North Canton, Ohio to face Walsh University on Monday, December 30 in an exhibition contest.