#14 Men’s Basketball Falls 80-77 in Overtime at Chicago

Jan. 27 - (CHICAGO, Ill.) – The #14 Carnegie Mellon men’s basketball team traveled to the University of Chicago Friday, January 27 and dropped a 80-77 overtime decision to the Maroons in University Athletic Association (UAA) play. The Tartans fall to 14-3 overall and 4-2 in UAA play, as Chicago moves to 10-7 overall and 3-3.

Carnegie Mellon came out strong opening a 19-9 lead with 11:49 left in the first half. Chicago then scored the next 15 points to take the lead by five 24-19. The Tartans put a stop to the Maroons run with 3:02 left in the first frame on a lay-up by senior A.J. Straub (St. Mary’s Pa./Elk County Catholic) pulling Carnegie Mellon within three (24-21). A minute later junior Greg Gonzalez (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) got the Tartans within one on a lay-up. Chicago would then take a 28-26 lead into the locker room.

Chicago kept their momentum going to start the second half as they led by eight (41-33) with 16:02 remaining. Carnegie Mellon turned it around going on a 13-3 run, taking the lead for the first time (46-44) since the 8:30 mark in the first half, on a lay-up by senior Clayton Barlow-Wilcox (Brookline, Mass.) with 10:04 left in regulation.

The Maroons would take a three point advantage (51-48) before the Tartans went on an 8-0 run taking a 56-51 lead with 5:41 to play. Chicago would answer Carnegie Mellon’s run scoring the next seven points to pull ahead 58-56 with 3:19 left on the clock. The Tartans would pull even (58-58) with the Maroons with 3:09 to play on a lay-up by senior Bary Dunn (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice).

Carnegie Mellon trailed by two (64-62) after a Maroons basket by junior Brandon Woodhead with 52 ticks on the clock. On the Tartans ensuing possession sophomore Geoff Kozak (Huntingdon, Pa.) drained a trey with 34 seconds remaining in regulation to put Carnegie Mellon up 65-64. With 17 seconds on the clock in the second half Maroons senior Clay Carmody was fouled and went to the charity stripe. After missing the first foul shot Carmody hit the second knotting the score at 65-65.

Tartan senior Nate Maurer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Linsly School) missed a jumper with 11 seconds on the clock giving the Maroons one last chance, but a missed three pointer by junior Jesse Meyer with time expiring sent the game into overtime.

In overtime Chicago jumped out to an early 71-69 lead before the Tartans scored the next seven points to take a 76-71 lead with 1:52 left in the extra frame. During the Tartans 7-0 run Straub broke a 71-71 tie on a three-point basket, making it 20 straight games hitting a three pointer.

The Maroons cut the Tartans lead to two (77-75) on a lay-up by Woodward with 15 ticks left in overtime. Woodward had a chance to cut the lead to one, but missed the and one foul shot, and the rebound was pulled in by Barlow-Wilcox. After a pair of missed foul shots by Barlow-Wilcox, Chicago’s Woodward took the rebound, drove down the court and hit what was the game winning three-point basket with two seconds on the clock, giving the Maroons a 78-77 lead. After a Tartan turnover Chicago secured a three point victory (80-77) with two foul shots.

The Tartans were led by Maurer with 23 points followed by Barlow-Wilcox’s 16 and Dunn’s 10. Barlow-Wilcox had eight rebounds and Maurer and Dunn each had six apiece.

Chicago had four players in double figures led by Meyer with 18, Woodward with 16, sophomore Matt Corning 13 and Carmody 10.

The Carnegie Mellon men’s basketball team will travel to Washington University in St. Louis Sunday, January 29 for a 12:00 p.m. Central Standard Time tip.