Four Tartans Score in Double Figures in 73-63 Win at Brandeis

(WALTHAM, Mass.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team played Brandeis University on Sunday afternoon in Waltham, Massachusetts, and defeated the Judges, 73-63, in University Athletic Association (UAA) play. Carnegie Mellon even its record at 9-9 overall and 2-5 in UAA play. Brandeis moves to 12-6 and 2-5.

Sophomore Leah Weslock (Howell, Mich.) scored a game-high 19 points after converting 6-of-8 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the foul line. Classmate Caitlyn Clendenin (Bethesda, Md./Bethesda Chevy Chase) finished with 13 points while seniors Laurel Pereira (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) and Makayla Filiere (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) scored 12 and 13, respectively. Clendenin matched a career-high with 15 rebounds to record her fifth double-double of the season.

Carnegie Mellon ended the game shooting 33.8% from the floor while Brandeis finished shooting 34.5%. The Judges were led by Camila Casanueva with 12 points.

A poor shooting start for Brandeis (1of-10) allowed the Tartans to jump out to a 12-6 following a triple at the top of the arc by senior Katharine Higgins (Montclair, N.J.) with 3:27 to play. The Judges then connected on back-to-back three-pointer baskets which tied the game at 12-12 with 1:20 to play. A three-point bucket by Filiere and Weslock before the close of the quarter put the Tartans on top 18-12. Weslock's trey came as time expired in the quarter.

Carnegie Mellon matched its largest lead of nine points on three different occasions in the second quarter. The last was a 29-20 lead following a pair of fouls shots by senior Megan Jaeb (San Jose, Calif./Presentation) with 5:33 on the clock. Over the next five minutes, Brandeis used a 12-4 run to cut the lead to 33-32 before a layup by Clendenin in the closing seconds gave the Tartans a 35-32 lead at the break. After shooting 23.1% from the floor in the first frame, Brandeis shot 53.4% in the second while the Tartans shot 35.0%.

The Tartans opened the third quarter on a 9-2 run and took its largest lead of the game at 44-34 four minutes in. The Judges cut the deficit to 44-40, but Carnegie Mellon pushed the lead back to 10 at 51-41 with a minute to play before Casanueva the last five points of the quarter to pull the Judges to within five at 51-46.

Carnegie Mellon score the first five points of the fourth quarter over the first two minutes and led by 10 once again. The home team responded yet again and cut the lead to 56-52 with 5:40 to play, but the Tartans scored 10 of the next 14 points to lead 66-56 with two minutes left and never looked back. Weslock sealed win 73-63, as she connected on four foul shots with under 15 seconds to play.

Carnegie Mellon will entertain New York University on Friday, February 7 on the hardwood of Skibo Gymnasium. Tip is set for 6:00 p.m.