Tartans Battle No. 2 Bears in UAA Action

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team battled the No. 2 Washington University Bears to a 71-63 defeat on Sunday, January 26 in University Athletic Assocation action. The Tartans are now 10-6 and 1-4 while the Bears jump to 15-1 and 5-0.

The Bears took an early 13-5 lead thanks to Jordan Thompson's 4-for-4 performance from the field with three made shots from behind the arc. Midway through the half, the Tartans battled back to take their first lead since the opening minute when senior Jacquie Shaw (Portland, Ore./Grant) hit a baseline jumper off an assist by junior Gabrielle West (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame).

Shaw's jumper was the end of a 9-0 Tartan run and a six-plus minute scoring drought by the Bears and gave the home team a 20-19 lead with eight minutes to play in the half. Sophomore Lindsay Poss (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) started the run with a three-pointer while freshman Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) hit a jumper from the elbow and West scored on a reverse layup.

The Bears retook the lead but a three-pointer by West tied the score at 23-23 before the teams traded points the final three-and-a-half minutes of the period with the Bears holding a 29-27 halftime edge.

The Tartans held the Bears to their lowest point total for the first half and 32.4% shooting from the floor while they shot 33.3%.

The second period started how the first ended with the teams trading baskets and the Bears holding a two-point lead after a layup by Shaw with 17:20 to play. The Bears then used an 8-2 run to lead by eight and continued to counter each Tartan point to take their first double-digit lead at 51-41 with 11:02 to go.

The Tartans chipped away and got to within five points on a layup by Shaw with two mintues to play but the Bears closed it out with an and-one layup and free throw by Melissa Gilkey for the 71-63 Washington U. win.

Murphy led the Tartans with her fourth straight and seventh double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Shaw was second in scoring with 12 as West finished with 11 points. Junior Chandler Caufield (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) led the Tartans with four assists.

Alyssa Johanson led the Bears with 19 points, scoring 13 in second half with Gilkey scoring 17 and Thompson 15. Jordan Rettig recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds as the Bears won the battle of the boards 40-35.

The Tartans will be home again on Friday, January 31 when they host New York University at 6:00 p.m.