Maurer finished with a career high 41 points. He scored 31 points in the second half as the Tartans (1-0 University Athletic Association, 6-0 overall) rallied from a 13-point deficit. He made 10 of 15 shots from the floor in the second half, six of seven three pointers. He finished with seven three-point goals, one shy of the Palestra record. Maurer scored CMU’s final 16 points.
After his go-ahead basket, Rochester’s Joe Canty threw the ball long to Tim Brackney just over midcourt. Brackney’s shot struck the front rim as the buzzer sounded.
The CMU victory snapped a 23-game homecourt UAA winning streak for Rochester. The Yellowjackets were unbeaten at home in the UAA – 7-0 – in each of the last three years. Rochester’s last UAA home loss came on Feb. 3, 2003 when Washington tipped in an errant shot at the buzzer to win, 65-63.
Rochester is 0-1 in the UAA, 5-2 overall. In the latest Division III poll, Rochester was ranked number 12 nationally. The Yellowjackets are a slim favorite to win the UAA title and automatic NCAA bid. Rochester edged CMU, 62-57, at the Palestra last February to win the UAA title. CMU went to the ECAC playoffs.
Senior Clayton Barlow-Wilcox (Brookline, MA/Brookline) scored 16 points for CMU. Senior Marques Johnson (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) had eight points. The five CMU starters scored every Tartan point.
Rochester was led by senior guard Mike Goia (Potsdam, NY/Somerville [NJ]) with a career high 28 points. Sophomore Jon Onyiriuka (Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post W.) scored 13 points.
Goia had 14 points and Onyiriuka added seven in the first half as Rochester built a 39-26 lead. Eric Snider (Fairport, NY/Fairport) scored four points and Goi ahd three in a 9-2 run that closed the first half and built Rochester’s largest lead.
CMU increased the tempo in the second half. The Tartans went on a 9-2 spurt to pull within 51-47 on a layup by Barlow-Wilcox with 14:43 left. Maurer missed a breakaway dunk and Goia hit three straight jumpers to get the lead back to 10, 57-47, with 9:49 to go.
The visitors cut it to four three different times. Goia made two free throws for a 67-61 lead with 3:11 to play. Maurer sank a three-pointer with 2:49 left (67-64). After Onyiriuka made one free throw, Maurer hit another three with 2:05 to play, cutting it to 68-67.
Onyiriuka made a conventional three-point play, scoring on a left side layup from Canty, then adding the free throw for a 71-67 lead with 1:09 left. Maurer’s seventh trey of the game pulled the Tartans within 71-70.
After Rochester missed a driving layup, CMU rebounded and called time with 11.8 seconds left. The Tartans worked the ball in to Maurer for the gamewinning layup.
CARNEGIE MELLON 72, ROCHESTER 71 CARNEGIE MELLON (6-0 1-0 UAA) Maurer, Nate 13-24 8-9 41; Barlow-Wilcox, C. 7-15 2-2 16; Johnson, Marques, 4-6 0-2 8; Straub, A.J. 2-8 0-0 5; Kozak, Geoff 1-5 0-0 2; Matta, Brad 0-0 0-0 0; O'Rourke, Corey 0-2 0-0 0; Gonzalez, Greg 0-3 0-1 0; Dunn, Bary 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 27-65 10-14 72. ROCHESTER (5-2, 0-1 UAA) Goia, Mike 11-18 5-5 28; Onyiriuka, Jon 5-8 3-5 13; Snider, Eric 3-3 0-0 6; Ndubizu, Uche 3-4 0-0 6; Juron, Jeff 1-6 2-2 5; Canty, Joe 2-4 0-0 5; Milbrand, Dan 2-3 1-1 5; Chmielowiec, Michael 1-3 0-0 3; Kaplan, Max 0-0 0-0 0; Brackney, Tim 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 28-54 11-13 71. Carnegie Mellon............... 26 46 - 72 Rochester..................... 39 32 - 71 3-point goals-Carnegie Mellon 8-21 (Maurer, Nate 7-8; Straub, A.J. 1-6; Kozak, Geoff 0-3; O'Rourke, Corey 0-1; Gonzalez, Greg 0-1; Barlow-Wilcox, C. 0-2), Rochester 4-16 (Chmielowiec, Michael 1-2; Juron, Jeff 1-3; Goia, Mike 1-4; Canty, Joe 1-3; Brackney, Tim 0-4). Fouled out--Carnegie Mellon-None, Rochester-None. Rebounds-Carnegie Mellon 29 (Maurer, Nate 4; Barlow-Wilcox, C. 4; Straub, A.J. 4; Johnson, Marques 4), Rochester 35 (Goia, Mike 6). Assists-Carnegie Mellon 16 (O'Rourke, Corey 4), Rochester 16 (Chmielowiec, Michael 3; Ndubizu, Uche 3). Total fouls-Carnegie Mellon 16, Rochester 13. A-950