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PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Dec. 7) – Carnegie Mellon earned a 77-65 wire-to-wire victory over the Saint Vincent women's basketball team in non-conference action at Skibo Gymnasium in Pittsburgh.
 
Graduate student Mara Benvenuti put together another strong offensive effort, tallying 18 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in a double-double performance.
 
Makayla Filiere scored a career-high 30 points to lead Carnegie Mellon to the victory.
 
After the host Tartans opened the game with five straight points, junior guard Maria Morgan connected on a three-pointer to close the deficit to 5-3 at the 7:52 mark. A three-point play helped CMU extend its lead to 10-5 with 4:50 to play in the opening quarter.
 
The Tartans would push the advantage to as many as seven (14-7) points in the first quarter. SVC closed the quarter on a 6-3 run, including a layup by Bri Van Volkenburg just before the first quarter buzzer to cut the deficit to 17-13.
 
CMU opened the second quarter on a 12-0 run to push its lead to 29-13 with 7:43 to play. However, SVC would cut that deficit in half by halftime. A big part of the run to get back into the game was freshman Erin Giancola and Benvenuti, who combined 14 of the Bearcats 17 points in the quarter.
 
A three-pointer by Benvenuti helped cut the deficit back into single digits, making it 33-25 with 4:16 to play in the half. Benvenuti would add another layup just before the halftime break.
 
Makayla Filiere was a bit part of the Tartans first half, totaling 15 points on six of nine shooting from the field. CMU shot 56 percent in the first half from the field, including connecting on 6-of-11 three-point attempts.
 
Saint Vincent shot just 33 percent in thee first half but were able to hang in because of 11 offensive rebounds and forcing CMU into 10 turnovers.
 
The Bearcats started strong in the second half, closing to within four points (38-34) after contested baskets from Benvenuti and Morgan. CMU would quickly answer back with an 8-0 run to take a 46-34 advantage at the 6:39 mark of the third.
 
CMU would maintain its double-digit lead for the remainder of the third quarter, taking a 56-40 lead into the fourth. The Tartans would extend the lead to 19 points (63-44) with 6:36 left. SVC refused to quit, rattling off an 8-0 run to close within 11 points (63-52) at the 4:35 mark. Benvenuti and Morgan would drain a three each before Morgan converted a pair at the free throw line. That was as close as the Bearcats would get before falling by a 77-65 score.
 
Aside from Benvenuti's strong game, Morgan finished in double figures with 12 points. Babette Sanmartin added eight points and six rebounds, while Giancola recorded six points and six rebounds off the bench.
 
As a team, CMU converted on 49.1 percent from the field, including 11 of 18 from behind the three-point line. SVC made just 30.8 percent of its shots. The Bearcats forced the Tartans to commit 23 turnovers. CMU held a slight edge in rebounding (43-40).
 
Saint Vincent drops to 4-4 overall, while Carnegie Mellon improves to 6-2 overall with the victory.
 
SVC jumps back into Presidents' Athletic Conference action when they travel to Geneva College on Saturday, Dec. 9. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. at the Metheny Fieldhouse in Beaver Falls.