Four Career-Highs Lead Tartans Past Lycoming

Jan. 13 – (PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Junior forward Terrance Bouldin-Johnson (Tukwila, Wash./O’Dea) and senior guard Geoff Kozak (Huntingdon, Pa.) led the way as the Carnegie Mellon University men’s basketball team defeated visiting Lycoming College 81-59 on Sunday afternoon in Skibo Gymnasium. The Tartans shot 58.6% in the second half to balloon their five point halftime lead to as much as 25 during the final twenty minutes. The win improves their record to 10-2 on the season while Lycoming drops to 8-6.

The Tartans jumped out to a 9-0 lead to start the game but Lycoming responded with a run of their own to take a 14-13 lead with 11:30 remaining in the half on a three-pointer by senior guard David Wilson. The game stayed close for the remainder of the first half before a lay-up by junior guard Elliott Curtis (Brookline, Mass.) gave the Tartans the lead for good at 29-27 with 4:44 left in the half. The Tartans took a 34-29 lead into the halftime break after out-rebounding the Warriors 24-7 in the first half.

The Tartans controlled the tempo in the second half, getting the job done at both ends of the floor. Carnegie Mellon sprinted out of the gate with a 12-0 run to increase their lead to 46-29. The Tartans collected their biggest lead of the game at 67-42 when senior center Greg Gonzalez (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) nailed a three-pointer at the 7:28 mark. With twenty seconds remaining, freshman forward Shane Rife (Mercersburg, Pa./James Buchanan) and sophomore guard Dan Bruce (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) teamed up for a nifty give-and-go upon which Rife made the lay-up and drew a foul. That brought the score to 81-57 and the Tartans would go on to win by 22.

Kozak led all scorers with a career-high 21 points and Rife added a career-high 14. Bouldin-Johnson scored a career-high 17 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting day and tied a career-high with three blocks. Junior forward Ryan Einwag (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) led the team with six assists and chipped in 11 points while junior guard Corey O’Rourke (Merion, Pa./St. Joe Prep) had a game-high nine rebounds and dished out five assists. Lycoming was led by senior guard Kevin Morris’ 12 points and sophomore center Richard Varnell’s ten.

The Tartans tallied 46 rebounds compared to only 24 from Lycoming. The Tartans shot 51.8% from the field while Lycoming cooled off to finish the game shooting 40%. This win for Carnegie Mellon and Coach Wingen marks his 200th victory while at Carnegie Mellon.

The Tartans will be in action again on Friday, January 18 at 8:00 p.m. when they resume their University Athletic Association competition against #2 Brandeis University at home in Skibo Gymnasium.