Tartans Open Season with 30-point Victory

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team opened the 2013-14 season with a 30-point victory over visiting Geneva College, 96-66, in the first game of the Carnegie Mellon DoubleTree Classic. The Tartans were led by four players with double figures in scoring.

In a tight opening eight minutes of play, junior Chandler Caufield (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) hit two of her career-high five three-pointers and went on to score a career-high 18 points for the game. Her third three-pointer of the game closed a 20-4 run that put the Tartans ahead 35-22 with four minutes to play in the half.

Freshman forward Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) scored 14 first-half points and 10 of the team's final 12 of the half as the Tartans led 47-31 at the break. Murphy finished the game with 18 points and eight rebounds with eight points coming from the free throw line. She benefited from the Tartans final shooting percentage of .412 as she picked up five of the team's 21 assists.

Freshman Sade Idera (Morris Plains, N.J./Morris Catholic) and junior Gabrielle West (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) also scored in double figures for the Tartans with 15 and 12 points, respectively. Idera had a big second half with 13 points and two steals. In just 12 first half minutes, sophomore Liza Otto (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) shot 50% from the floor with six points, six rebounds and four steals.

The Tartans will face Franciscan University of Saturday, November 16 on the second day of the DoubleTree Classic at 1:00 p.m. in Skibo Gym.