Tartans Win Annual Tournament In Thrilling Fashion

Nov. 27 - (PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - Five Tartans scored in double digits to lift Carnegie Mellon men’s basketball to an 87-85 victory over visiting Bethany (W.Va.) College in the championship game of the Radisson / Carnegie Mellon Tournament. With the win the Tartans start the season 4-0, as Bethany drops to 2-3.

The Tartans jumped out to an early six-point lead, 12-6 with 13:29 to play in the first half after two made foul shots by senior Clayton Barlow-Wilcox (Brookline, Mass.). Bethany would fight back, as they put together a 20-7 run over the next 3:56 to take a 26-22 lead with 9:33 to play in the half. The Bison would extend their lead to eight over the next two-and-half-minutes, but this time the Tartans battled back to trail the Bision by one, 39-38 at the half.

The second half was just like the first as there were 13 lead changes and eight ties. Carnegie Mellon broke a 52-52 tie just under five-minutes into the half on a dunk by senior forward Bary Dunn (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice). Dunn’s dunk started an 8-2 run for the Tartans building a lead of six (60-54). Once again Bethany would fight back and knot the score for the ninth time in the game at 66-66.

After seven more lead changes and three more ties, Carnegie Mellon would take an 83-79 lead after a pair of fouls shots by senior A.J. Straub (St. Marys, Pa./Elk County Catholic) with 47 seconds left in regulation. On Bethany’s next trip down the court Mike Drahos converted on a three-point play cutting the Tartans lead to one (83-82). Straub would connect on two more from the charity stripe extending the Tartans lead to three once again at 85-82.

Mike Drahos would give the Bison yet another chance, as he hit a trey with ten seconds left to tie the score at 85-85. Tartans sophomore guard Geoff Kozak (Huntingdon, Pa.) found senior Nate Maurer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Linsly School), who was fouled on a jump shot with three ticks left on the clock. Maurer converted both from the line giving the Tartans the two-point victory. Matt Drahos' shot at the buzzer fell short.

Dunn and Barlow-Wilcox led the Tartans with 16 points each. Barlow-Wilcox added 10 rebounds to record his third double-double in the last four games. Straub ended with 14 points and was a perfect 6-6 from the line. Kozak added a career-high 12 points and junior forward Greg Gonzalez (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) cashed in with 11. Senior forward Marques Johnson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) recorded a career-high 10 rebounds and added six point and six assists for the Tartans.

Dunn was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament, as Straub was named to the All-Tournament Team.

For Bethany Matt Drahos led the way with 33 point and 11 rebounds as brother Mike finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. Both Matt and Mike were named to the All-Tournament Team.

In the consolation game Keystone College defeated Oberlin College 77-61. Matt Godwin from Oberlin and Darnell Reed fro Keystone were selected to the All-Tournament Team.

The Tartans will travel to LaRoche College Tuesday, November 29 for a 7:00 p.m. tip.