Men’s Basketball Wins Radisson Tournament with 71-60 Victory over Ohio Northern

Nov. 25 – (PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Carnegie Mellon University’s men’s basketball team came away with a 71-60 decision against Ohio Northern University in the championship game of the Radisson / Carnegie Mellon Tournament Sunday, November 25. With the victory the Tartans improved to 3-1, while the Polar Bears even their mark at 2-2.

Carnegie Mellon took a 4-2 lead and never trailed the rest of the half, as they opened the game on a 17-4 run. Ohio Northern hung around cutting the Tartans lead to four (26-22) with 5:01 to play in the half. Back-to-back three pointers by junior Ryan Einwag (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) and sophomore transfer Dan Lavallee (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) extended the Tartans lead back to double figures at 32-22. With Carnegie Mellon leading 33-23 in the closing seconds of the half, junior Steve Young drilled a trey with two ticks on the clock to pull the Polar Bears within seven (33-26) heading into the locker room.

The Polar Bears started the second half with a 14-0 run taking a 40-33 lead 6:11 into the stanza. During the run, Ohio Northern took their first lead of the game. Tartan sophomore Jack Anderson’s (Beaver Falls, Pa.) lay-up ended the Polar Bears run and started 11 unanswered points for the Tartans over the next 3:11 giving the Cardinal and Gray the lead 44-40, one they would never surrender the rest of the way.

Junior Corey O’Rourke (Merion, Pa./St. Joe Prep) all but sealed the victory for the Tartans when he converted a three-pointer from the corner with 2:47 left in regulation giving Carnegie Mellon a 61-53 lead. Two Tartan possessions later, the junior hit a running jumper in the lane making the score 65-53, as the Tartans went on to the 71-60 victory.

Einwag led all scorers with 20 points shooting 6-of-13 from the floor and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Senior Greg Gonzalez (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) finished one rebound shy of his third straight double-double, as he cashed in with ten points on his way to being named to the All-Tournament Team. Gonzalez and Einwag combined for five of the Tartans 13 blocks.

Anderson was the only other Tartan in double figures finishing with ten points and hauled in six rebounds. Freshman Matthew Pettit (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) recorded a career-high three blocked shots, while scoring four points in ten minutes of action.

Ohio Northern was led by Jake Cannan and Loudan Hammersmith as they both cashed in with 14 points. Cannan and Hammersmith were also named to the All-Tournament Team.

In the consolation game Susquehanna defeated Haverford 66-59 in overtime. Josh Robinson of Susquehanna and Matt Palmer of Haverford were selected to the All-Tournament Team.

The Tartans open University Athletic Association (UAA) play Saturday, December 1 when they travel to the University of Rochester for a 2:00 p.m. tip.