Women’s Basketball Hits Big Shots to Upend Otterbein in Season Opener

Nov. 16 – (PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Junior guard Colleen Light (Colts Neck, N.J./St. John Vianney) hit a jumper with 1:17 remaining to give Carnegie Mellon University a 74-73 lead and the Tartans held on to defeat the visiting Otterbein Cardinals 77-73 in the first day of the UAA/OAC Challenge. The game, the season-opener for both teams, was close throughout with neither team having more than a five point lead in the second half.

Otterbein (0-1) opened the game with a 9-0 run in the first 90 seconds. Carnegie Mellon (1-0) called a timeout and stormed back with eight straight points, highlighted by back-to-back three pointers from junior guard Corey Innes (Commerce, Mich./Lakeland) and junior guard Meghan Macguire (Grand Island, N.Y.). Carnegie Mellon took their first lead of the game with 14:43 remaining in the first half when junior forward Jeanette Schilling (Houston, Texas/Cypress Creek) received a pass from sophomore forward Rachelle Roll (Ostrander, Ohio/Buckeye Valley), made the lay-up, drew the foul, and made the subsequent free throw. The Tartans increased their lead to as much as six points during the first half before going into halftime leading 38-35.

Otterbein, who had all five starters score in double figures, went on a 7-0 run to turn a 59-57 deficit into a 64-59 advantage with 7:16 remaining in the game. Carnegie Mellon, needing a basket, responded with a lay-up by senior forward Leah Feola (Pittsburgh, Pa./Canevin Catholic) assisted by Macguire and after a Cardinal lay-up, Macguire nailed a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two.

Under the three-minute mark, Innes hit a big three-pointer to tie the game at 68. Otterbein responded with a lay-up from Laura Roth, who scored a game-high 23 points, but Carnegie Mellon tied the game yet again, this time courtesy of a Feola lay-up. Otterbein’s Ana Gamble sank a three-pointer at the 2:00 mark and Feola’s jumper on the other end of the court brought the Tartans to within one.

Needing a stop, junior point guard Stacie Aleski (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) stole the ball from Roth setting up Light’s go-ahead basket at the 1:17 mark. Otterbein missed a jumper, Aleski was fouled and hit a pair of free throws to make it 76-73 with 19 seconds left. Roth’s three-point attempt was blocked by Feola and Schilling sealed the victory for the Tartans by making one of two free throws with three seconds remaining.

The Tartans had four players score in double figures with Aleski leading the way with 15 points and five steals. Feola produced 14 points and Schilling tallied 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds off the bench. Innes showed her marksmanship from beyond the arc, sinking a career-high four three pointers en route to her career-high 14 points.

The Tartans shot 40.9% from the field compared to Otterbein’s 40.0% and Otterbein held a 50-37 edge in the rebounding department, as the Cardinals were able to pull down 21 offensive rebounds. The Tartans totaled 27 points off Otterbein turnovers (Otterbein had 15) and the Cardinals scored 40 points in the paint (Carnegie Mellon had 26).

The UAA/OAC Challenge continues tomorrow (Saturday) in Skibo Gymnasium with Otterbein College playing Case Western Reserve at 2 p.m. and Carnegie Mellon taking on Mount Union at 4 p.m.