Carnegie Mellon took an early 11-8 lead and never looked back the rest of the night. The Tartans led by two with 6:34 to play in the first half before sophomore guard Geoff Kozak (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area) drilled a three pointer to extend their lead to 23-18. The Tartans then would open the lead to 38-30 heading into the locker room.
Carnegie Mellon started the second half where they left off. The Tartans compiled a 9-0 run in the first 4:16 to take the 47-30 advantage. Carnegie Mellon’s biggest lead of the night came after a lay-up by senior Clayton Barlow-Wilcox (Brookline, MA/Brookline) giving them a 72-44 lead with 5:58 to play. The Tartans then went on to the 80-64 victory.
Carnegie Mellon had four players in double figures for the second straight. Leading the way with a game-high 18 points and a career-high 17 rebounds was Barlow-Wilcox. Senior Nate Maurer (Pittsburgh, PA/Linsly School) and junior Greg Gonzalez (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) had 13 points each, while senior A.J. Straub (St. Mary’s, PA/Elk County Catholic) cashed in with 10 points. Gonzalez grabbed 10 boards to record his second career double-double he also added three blocks.
The Tartans out rebounded the Wolverines 49-36 and turned 12 of Grove City’s shots away. Carnegie Mellon shot 43.7% from the floor for the night to Grove City’s 39.3%.
Barlow-Wilcox was named to the All-Classic Most Valuable Player, as Maurer was named to the All-Classic Team.
The Tartans will host their annual Tournament Saturday and Sunday, November 26 and 27. The Tartans will play Oberlin College Saturday at 3:00pm.