Balanced Scoring and Defense Lead Tartans to 63-47 Home Win Against Rochester

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team earned a 63-47 victory at home in Wiegand Gymnasium against the University of Rochester to move to 9-4 for the year and 3-1 in the University Athletic Association (UAA). The Yellowjackets drop to 10-5 and 2-2 for the season.

Rochester jumped out to a 9-2 lead three minutes and 23 seconds into the game. The Tartans stayed the course and used a 6-0 run to pull within one point on a second-chance jumper by sophomore Megan Matsko (Baltimore, Md. / Mount de Sales Academy) three minutes later. Sophomore Anika Prasad (Saratoga, Calif. / Saratoga) hit the team's first three-pointer of the game with 27 seconds left to close the first quarter scoring with the Tartans trailing 13-11.

Carnegie Mellon took its first lead of the game two minutes into the second period on a layup by Matsko. The lead swaped hands twice before the Tartans took the final lead of the half when freshman Catherine Or (Los Angeles, Calif. / Marlborough School) connected on a turnaround jumper in the paint following her own offensive rebound to make it 24-22. That basket started a 12-5 run for the Tartans who led 34-27 at the break.

The Tartans, who shot 25.0% in the first period, shot 41.7% in the second.

Carnegie Mellon scored the first four points of the second half to take its first double-digit lead of the game. Rochester made it a single-digit game four times before senior Leah Weslock (Howell, Mich. / Howell) hit a layup to close the quarter with the Tartans leading 49-38.

Rochester had a four-minute scoreless streak in the middle of the final frame which enabled the Tartans to build a 20-point lead. The final four minutes and 20 seconds witnessed just six total points, all coming on free throws, as the Tartans went on to the 16-point win.

The Tartans, who were fifth in the UAA in field-goal percentage defense at 35.7% for the season, held the Yellowjackets to their lowest field-goal percentage of the season at 26.2%.

The Tartans used balanced scoring in the win with eight players contributing and Matsko leading with 12 points off the bench. Senior Caitlyn Clendenin (Bethesda, Md. / Bethesda Chevy Chase) finished with 10 points while three others scored nine apiece. Clendenin, who is eighth in the UAA in blocks per game, recorded a career-best four in the win. Or was held to nine points but grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out five assists.

Rochester was led by Hannah Lindemuth's 11 points while Callie McCulley led all players with 13 rebounds.

Carnegie Mellon will next host Emory University (9-4, 3-1) on Sunday, January 23 at 2:00 p.m. Emory defeated Case Western Reserve University, 71-50, Friday night and is on a three-game winning streak.