#15 Women’s Basketball Tops NYU, 66-61, to Complete Weekend Road Sweep

(NEW YORK, N.Y.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team, ranked 15th nationally, defeated New York University, 66-61, on Sunday, January 15 in University Athletic Association (UAA) play behind two 20-point scorers in senior Jackie Hudepohl (Saratoga, Calif./Lynbrook (Colgate)) and freshman Katharine Higgins (Montclair, N.J.). Carnegie Mellon moves to 13-1, 2-1 while NYU is now 10-4, 0-3.

Senior Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) became the school's all-time leader in blocked shots after tabbing seven. Murphy passed Amy Buxbaum's (1988-92) mark of 189 and currently has 193 blocks for her career. As a team, Carnegie Mellon recorded a season-best 12 blocks in the win.

Hudepohl led the Tartans with 22 points while Higgins recorded her second career double-double with a career-best 20 points and 10 rebounds. Murphy tabbed her eighth straight double-double after grabbing a game-high 17 rebounds and scoring 11 points. Freshman Makayla Filiere (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) finished with 10 points and a career-best five assists.

Amy Harioka led NYU with 24 points and Shaye McGoey had 10.

NYU started the contest scoring the first eight points and extended its lead to 16-4 midway through the first quarter. Higgins then scored the next six points of the game for the Tartans to cut the deficit in half with 2:22 to play. NYU maintained its lead over the final two minutes and led 19-12 at quarter's close.

Carnegie Mellon used an 8-3 run midway through the second quarter and pulled to within a point, 25-24, following a long ball off the hands of Hudepohl with four minutes to play. Over the last two minutes of the second quarter, NYU scored six of the last eight points to take a 33-28 lead into the break.

Freshman Laurel Pereira (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) gave the Tartans their first lead of the game at the 6:44 mark of the third quarter on a three-point bucket. The long ball made it seven straight points for the visitor's to start the second half. The run turned into a 12-2 scamper and the Tartans led 40-35 until NYU scored six straight to retake the lead, 41-40, with 4:29 on the clock. The two teams battled evenly the rest of the frame and NYU led 45-43 heading into the fourth.

NYU held the lead until the 2:58 mark of the fourth quarter when Murphy gave the Tartans a 58-57 lead on a layup. The Violets respond with a three-point basket on their next possession to regain the lead. Hudepohl put the Cardinal and Gray on top (61-60) for good 30 seconds later with a trey from the top of the arc. The senior converted three foul shots down the stretch along with two blocked shot by freshman Dominique Petach (Pittsburgh, Pa./Norwin) in the closing seconds to seal the win for Carnegie Mellon.  

Carnegie Mellon returns to the court on Friday, January 20, as it hosts the University of Rochester (10-3, 1-1) at 6:00 p.m.