Tartans Top CWRU in UAA Opener, 64-58

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team used a 20-4 first-half run to earn a victory to open University Athletic Association (UAA) play against Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) at home on Saturday afternoon in Wiegand Gymnasium. The Tartans are now 7-3 for the season while CWRU drops to 5-7.

Freshman Catherine Or (Los Angeles, Calif. / Marlborough School) started her UAA career with a double-double including a team-leading 19 points with a game-high 12 rebounds. She also dished out six assists. Senior Caitlyn Clendenin (Bethesda, Md. / Bethesda Chevy Chase) and freshmen Isha Nambisan (Fremont, Calif. / Mission San Jose) and Anisha Chintala (Austin, Texas / Westwood) each scored 11 points to help the squad to victory. 

Case Western Reserve jumped out to a 10-2 lead halfway through the first quarter before the Tartans answered with a 20-4 run that spanned nearly 10 minutes of play. Four different Tartans scored baskets to close the first quarter on an 8-4 spurt ahead of a 10-0 blitz to open the second quarter. Sophomore Sam Glowasky (Oakton, Va. / Madison) drilled the team's first three-pointer of the game with 5:52 on the clock to make it 19-14 with junior Divya Seenivasan (Bridgewater, N.J. / Rutgers Preparatory School) converting an offensive rebound a free throw a minute later to complete the run.

Sophomore Megan Matsko (Baltimore, Md. / Mount de Sales Academy) hit a jumper in the paint after a steal by Chintala with 50 seconds to play in the half to give the Tartans their first double-digit advantage at 33-23 before the home squad held a 35-26 halftime lead.

During the second quarter in which the Tartans held a 25-12 scoring advantage, the team shot 47.6% from the floor and scored 16 points in the paint.

CWRU was able to pull the game to five points by the end of the third quarter when Sarah Mitchell made a driving layup to make it 51-46 Tartans. The Spartans connected on 3-of-3 from behind the arc for the quarter while the Tartans hit 2-of-7.

After senior Abbey Lawrence opened the final period with a pull-up jumper, the Tartans scored six straight to take a nine-point lead with just over half the period left to play. With 2:45 to go, Clendenin made a layup off an assist by Or to make it 62-51 and the Cardinal and Gray maintained the lead the rest of the game.

Lawrence led the Spartans with 21 points while Isabella Mills had 16 points and Preet Gill grabbed 10 boards.

The Tartans will next visit Brandeis University on Friday, January 14 at 5:30 p.m.