Strong Second Half Gives Tartans Home Victory Against Brandeis

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team competed against Brandeis University on Friday, February 6. The Tartans defeated Brandeis by a 55-53 score that echoed the super close game. The Tartans are 12-6 for the season and 4-3 in University Athletic Association (UAA) play while the Judges are 12-7 overall and 2-6 in UAA play.

How it Happened

• Both teams came out hot, quickly hitting a 6-4 score in three minutes of the first quarter. The Judges led before both sides went quiet for four minutes, with the Judges then leading 10-4 at the end of the quarter.
• The Tartans were down eight points in the beginning of the second quarter before taking the lead after a 9-0 run that closed with a layup by Savannah Gibbs that made the score 13-12.
• Brandeis answered on its next possession and took the lead for the rest of the half, getting back to an eight-point lead at 28-20 to end the period.
• The Tartans took the lead back in the third quarter with a jump shot but junior Allie Heyer off senior Nicole Timko's rebound and an assist that finished a 12-3 run to make the score 32-31.
• Freshman Niyati Bangalore ended the third quarter with a free throw to keep the Tartans up, 37-36.
• Abby Kennedy gave the Judges the lead once again with a layup less than three minutes into the fourth quarter and Sofia Berisha made it a four-point lead with a driving layup and then a free throw with 5:52 to play.
• A five-point run for the Tartans changed the lead again and over the final three minutes the Judges tied the game three times with Kennedy hitting a step back three-pointer to make it 53-all with 23 seconds to go.
• Timko's number was called upon in the timeout huddle and she hit a jumper just outside the paint with three seconds to go that stood up as the game winner.

Tartan Stats

• The Tartans shot 41.5% (22-53) from the field, 26.3% (5-19) from behind the arc, and 40% (6-15) from the free throw line.
• Timko led the offense with 14 points, followed by Gibbs with 13.
• Sophomore Payton Baney led the team with eight rebounds while also scoring 10 points.
• Heyer also reached double figures with 10 points.
• Timko and freshman Aleena Dinker had two steals, Timko also had three assists.

Judge Stats

• The Judges shot 39.3% (22-56) from the field, 33.3% from behind the arc, and 44.4% (4-9) from the free throw line.
• Kennedy led the offense with 23 points while Katherin Vaughan led the group with eight rebounds.

Up Next

The Tartans will host No. 1 New York University on Sunday, February 8 at 12:00 p.m.