Tartans Win Overtime Battle with Rochester, 77-74

(ROCHESTER, N.Y.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team fought back to force overtime and left the University of Rochester with its first University Athletic Association (UAA) win of the season after a 77-74 win. The Tartans are now 8-8 overall and 1-4 in the UAA while Rochester moves to 7-9 and 1-4.

Sophomore Caitlyn Clendenin (Bethesda, Md. / Bethesda Chevy Chase) led with a career-best 21 points, scoring six in the fourth-quarter comeback. She also pulled down 13 boards for her fourth double-double of the season. Her six assists in the game also tied a career-high. Following Clendenin was sophomore Emily Archer (Chatham, N.J. / Oak Knoll) with 14 points off the bench, including six in the decisive overtime period.

Senior Katie Higgins (Montclair, N.J. / Montclair) scored 12 in the game with five coming in the fourth quarter along with senior Makayla Filiere (Chandler, Ariz. / Hamilton) scoring seven of her 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Behind 51.7% shooting from the floor in the first half, including a 9-of-17 performance in the second quarter, the Tartans led 38-32 at the break. Clendenin scored 11 points in the second period, including nine straight for the Cardinal and Gray.

Five straight points by Clendenin took the Tartans from two down to a three-point advantage midway through the second quarter. A few minutes later, the Yellowjackets held a slim 30-29 lead after a three-pointer from the top of the key by Hannah Lindemuth.

Clendenin then scored on a layup and assisted on a layup by senior Megan Jaeb (San Jose, Calif. / Presentation) who slipped a screen for the uncontested score to make it 33-30. The Tartans held the lead and extended it to six before the halftime horn.

A 9-0 run to open the half by the Yellowjackets erased the Tartans' lead. The run was extended to 15-3 and then 24-9 when the Yellowjackets held their largest lead at 56-47 with 1:41 to go in the period.

After back-to-back baskets by Rochester to open the fourth quarter making the score 62-51, the Tartans clamped down on defense and the offense returned with a 13-0 run to take back the lead 64-62 on a layup by freshman Divya Seenivasan (Bridgewater, N.J. / Rutgers Preparatory School) with four minutes to go.

Rochester equalized three times, as the Tartans went ahead on a pair of free throws twice, with Tessa Ludwick tying the game for the final time on a layup with 49 seconds to go. The Tartans held the Yellowjackets to a shot clock violation on the last possession before a jumper by Filiere bounced off the rim at the buzzer.

Overtime belonged to the Tartans who started with a 9-0 run to make it 77-68. Rochester hit a three-pointer in the comeback attempt but could only hit a few free throws as the Tartans held on for the 77-74 win and the first overtime win in the all-time series with the Yellowjackets.

Rochester was led by Ludwick's 20 points while Lindemuth finished with 17 points and five assists.

The Tartans remain on the road and next play against New York University at Hunter College in New York, New York, on Friday, January 31 at 6:00 p.m.