Tartans Drop Sunday Contest with Rochester

(PITTSBURGH Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team dropped a 68-63 University Athletic Association (UAA) contest to the Yellowjackets of the University of Rochester on Sunday, February 16 on the hardwood of Skibo Gymnasium.  The loss even the Tartans record at 11-11 as they are now 2-9 in UAA play while Rochester is now 9-13, 3-8.

Halfway through the first half junior Chandler Caufield (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) gave Carnegie Mellon its first lead of the contest at 14-13 on one of her two three-point buckets on the day. The lead changed hands four more times before the Tartans scored nine straight points to claim a 30-21 edge with 3:22 to play.  Seven of the points came off the hands of junior Gabrielle West (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) during the run including a four-point play.  

Carnegie Mellon maintained control the remainder of the half and took a 35-26 advantage into the locker room.  The Tartans continued to have the hot hand as they opened the second half on a 7-2 run to grab their largest lead of the contest at 42-28 with 17:26 to play.

Over the next 8:19, Rochester outscored Carnegie Mellon 21-7 to tie the score at 49-49 and eventually took a 56-55 lead with 5:38 to play on a jumper by Blair Landolfi.  The lead marked the first for the visitor's since the eight minute mark of the first half.

On the next possession down the court, senior Jacquie Shaw (Portland, Ore./Grant) put the Tartans back ahead on a jumper, but Kelsey Hurley's triple with 3:09 to play gave Rochester the lead for good.

For the tenth time in UAA play Carnegie Mellon held the advantage on the glass.  The Tartans outrebounded the Yellowjackets 52-44.  Carnegie Mellon ended the game shooting 30.4% from the floor to Rochester's 32.7%.

West led the Tartans with 13 pointswhile Shaw and sophomore Liza Otto (Glastonbury, Conn.) each added nine. Freshman Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and tied a career-high with five assists. Sophomore Lindsay Poss (Poolesville, Md.) hauled down 10 boards in the setback.
 

Rochester's Loren Wagner recorded a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 18 rebounds.  Landolfi finished with 15, Danielle McNabb 14 and Ally Zywicki had 12.

The Tartans will be on the road next weekend for their last UAA doubleheader weekend.  They will play the University of Chicago on Friday, February 21 and the Washington University in St. Louis on Sunday, February 23.