#12 Tartans Remain Perfect with Win Against Muskingum

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The 12th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team hosted Muskingum University on Thursday, December 22 and won its 22nd straight non-conference game with a 72-55 victory. The Tartans are now 10-0 for the year while the Fighting Muskies fall to 5-4.

Senior Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) led the Tartans with 31 points and 14 rebounds, tallying 13 points from the free throw line. Freshman Makayla Filiere (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) scored 17 points and picked up five steals to aid in the win.

The Tartans started the game with an 8-0 run before Muskingum answered with seven straight. A three-pointer by freshman Katharine Higgins (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) stopped the run by the Fighting Muskies and started a 9-1 run that closed the quarter for the Tartans, who led 19-8 at the first break.

Freshman Laurel Pereira (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) hit a three-pointer out of the second-quarter gate to increase the home team's lead to 14 points which moved to 15 points after a free throw by Murphy one minute and 19 seconds later. Muskingum hit their first bucket of the quarter with 7:54 to go when Hallie Stocker connected from behind the arc.

A three-pointer by Olivia Besancon on the next Muskingum possession cut the deficit to single digits, but two free throws by Murphy put the lead back to double figures. The Tartans would hold the double figure advantage and lead by 37-22 at halftime.

The Fighting Muskies pulled within three points with six minutes to play when they scored 13 straight to open the final period. The Tartans missed their first four shots from the floor and turned the ball over four times before Murphy stopped the run with a basket inside and a free throw.

With the shot clock winding down and the Tartans holding a four-point lead with 3:49 to play, sophomore Jenn Mayberger (Chesterfield, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy) drained a three-pointer. The bucket was the start of a 13-2 run for the Tartans to end the game as the Cardinal and Gray hit 7-of-8 from the charity stripe in the last two minutes.

The Tartans finished the game shooting 39.0% from the floor and held the Fighting Muskies to 30.8%. The teams shot an identical 6-of-24 from the three-point line but the Tartans held the advantage at the foul line making 20-of-26 to 9-of-20 for the visitors.

The Tartans will break for the holiday before returning home to play Penn State Behrend (4-6) at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 30.