Tartans Overrule Judges

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Junior Emily Peel's (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) career-high 33 points lifts the Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team to a 65-56 victory over the visiting Judges of Brandeis University.  The Tartans are now 8-12, 2-7 while the Judges drop to 8-12, 1-8.

Brandeis opened the game leading 9-4 after five minutes of play.  The Tartans then used a 13-5 run over the next eight minutes to claim a 17-14 advantage.  The lead was one the Tartans did not surrender the rest of the way.

Peel gave the Tartans their largest lead of the half, 34-17, with 3:55 to play following an up-and-under layup.  The teams exchanged buckets two more time before the end of the half. Peel gave the Tartans a 28-21 lead at the break after converting the last basket of the half.

Senior Jennifer Larsen (Exeter, N.H./Exeter) connected on a pair of foul shots two minutes into the second half, extending the home teams lead to 34-22.  With the Tartans holding a 41-33 lead, Brandeis used a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to 43-42 with 7:21 to play.

On the Tartans next possession down the court, sophomore Jacquie Shaw (Portland, Ore./Grant) hit a jumper which sparked seven straight points for the Cardinal and Gray pushing the lead to 50-42 with 5:32 on the clock.

Carnegie Mellon maintained control the rest of the game and led by as many as 14 points before winning 65-56.  The Tartans shot 47% from the floor and held Brandeis to 26%.

Peel ended the game shooting 14-of-16 from the floor and Shaw was the team's second leading scorer with 10 points. Peel and freshman Gabrielle West (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) each grabbed a game-high eight rebounds in the win as the Tartans edged the Judge 44-42 on the glass.

Brandeis' Morgan Kendrew scored 18 to lead the Judges while she also hauled in a team-high seven rebounds in the setback.  

The Tartans will next be in action when they travel to the Windy City, for a 6:00 p.m. tip against No.2 University of Chicago on Friday, February 10.