Tartans Secure First Winning Season in 10 Years with 20-Point Victory Over NYU

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team secured its first winning season since the 2002-03 season with a 20-point, 76-56, win over visiting New York University on Sunday, February 10 in its final home game of the year in Skibo Gymnasium. The win marches the Tartans to 13-9 and 5-6 in University Athletic Association play while the Violets fall to 8-14 and 1-10.

Senior Emily Peel (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) led all scorers with 14 points and grabbed 10 boards for her sixth double-double of the year. Freshman Lindsay Poss (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) picked up her second double-double of the season tying a career-high with 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

The Tartans led by 14 points at the break thanks to a shooting percentage of .471 and a rebounding advantage of seven.

Peel contributed four points in the game-opening 9-1 run, which started with a Liza Otto (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) layup on the first possession of the game. The Tartans never trailed as they later had a 16-2 run to hold a 25-9 advantage midway through the first period. Freshman Amanda McHenry (Branchburg, N.J./Somerville) drained two treys during the run and finished with nine points.

The Tartans led by 17 twice in the first period after sophomores Chandler Caufield (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) and Gabrielle West (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) each hit three-pointers.

The rebounding and hot shooting continued for the Tartans in the second half who played even with the Violets through the first four minutes to maintain their 14-point edge. Three straight baskets by the team's game scoring leaders of Poss, Otto and Peel gave the home team their largest lead of the game at 60-40 with 6:33 to play.

West hit another three treys in the second period to move her career number to 87 where she is two away from taking over fourth place on the all-time chart. The sophomore finished with 13 points.

For the game the Tartans shot 47.5% from the floor and made 11 three-pointers for a percentage of .524 tying a season-high for both made attempts from behind the arc and percentage.

The Tartans will take to the road for their final three UAA contests beginning at the University of Rochester on Friday, February 15 at 6:00 p.m.