No. 25 Tartans Use Big First Half to Defeat Lions

ERIE, Pa. – The No. 25 Carnegie Mellon women's basketball team had a big first half, outscoring Penn State Behrend 39-14 en route to a 78-54 non-conference victory on Tuesday evening in the Junker Center.

Junior Lisa Murphy was a perfect 9-for-9 from the field, scoring a game-high 20 points and pulling down 16 rebounds to help the Tartans (11-0) keep an unblemished record heading into the New Year.

Sophomore guard Erika Woll (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) hit for a career-high eight field goals putting her one point shy of her career best with 19 points to lead the Lions (4-7). Woll also had a team-high six rebounds, while Heidi Langhorst (Corapolis, PA/Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) added 10 points.

As a team, Behrend committed a season-low 11 turnovers and outscored Carnegie Mellon 40-39 in the second half including 23-19 in the fourth quarter.  

Murphy, who tallied 10 points in each half, led all scorers despite being held eight points shy of her Division III leading average of 28.3 ppg.

The Tartans set the pace in the first 2:39 of the game with a 10-0 run to start. Lindsay Poss contributed seven points in the 16-5 opening quarter. Carnegie Mellon kept the momentum going into the second stanza with a 7-0 run, behind triples from Jenn Mayberger and Jackie Hudepohl.

The largest Tartan lead of the first half came at the end of the second quarter thanks to Murphy getting seven points in the final 1:55 at 39-14.

In a closer third quarter, the Lions held Carnegie Mellon scoreless in the final 2:24 ending with a unconventional three-point play by Woll to be narrowly outscored, 20-17.

Behrend finished strong with a 23-19 edge in the fourth quarter behind nine points from Woll in 10 minutes of work.

The Lions are looking for their first win at home on Saturday against Franciscan. Game time is 4 p.m.