The Tartans (11-2) rolled out to a 19-6 lead in the first six minutes, but the Presidents (3-11) chipped away and eventually took their first lead of the game (39-38) into halftime after a jumper by sophomore guard Anthony Hairston (Roanoke, Va./Roanoke Catholic) in the final minute.
Hairston scored back-to-back baskets in the first two minutes of the second half to push the W&J advantage to 45-40, but CMU rallied with 15 unanswered points over the next six minutes to take the lead for good. Nate Maurer and Eliot Goren both scored six points during the Tartan run.
Carnegie Mellon stretched its advantage to 72-54 with 7:31 remaining, but the Presidents responded by cutting the lead to seven points (83-76) with 1:31 left on the clock before CMU iced the game at the free throw line.
Clayton Barlow-Wilcox posted a game-high 24 points, while Maurer netted 21 markers and grabbed 13 rebounds. Michael Divens scored 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting and Goren finished with 13 points and four assists. CMU shot 62 percent (32-of-52) in the win and out-rebounded the Presidents by a 39-24 margin.
Sophomore guard Jon Koch (New Kensington, Pa./Plum) led W&J with 23 points. He hit 7-of-13 shots from the floor and also added three steals. Sophomore forward Matt Vorndran (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) made 6-of-9 shots to finish with 13 points, while freshman guard Tyler Trutza (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay) contributed 10 points off the bench.
Washington & Jefferson shot 48 percent (31-of-64) in the loss and made 8-of-21 three-point attempts.
W&J opens its 2005 Presidents’ Athletic Conference schedule on Saturday as it hosts rival Waynesburg at 7:30 pm at the Henry Memorial Center.