Box Score Sophomore Hannah Lilly scored a team-high 19 points to lead four double-figure scorers and classmate Savnnah Morgan totaled 15 points along with a school-record 13 assists in leading the Emory women's basketball team to a win at Carnegie Mellon Friday evening. The Eagles captured their fourth straight win and upped their overall mark to 17-6, 8-4 in the University Athletic Association following an 83-60 win over the Tartans who fell to 8-15 overall, 2-10 in the league.
Emory finished the contest shooting 42.0 percent (34-of-81) from the floor while CMU converted 46.0 percent (23-of-50) of its opportunities. The Eagles used the three-ball to its benefit, knocking down 12-of-30 attempts, the fourth game this season that they had finished in double figures in that department. Lilly hit seven field goal in 19 attempts, including five triples, en route to her 20th double-figure scoring effort of the campaign. Morgan was successful on seven-of-16 from the floor in notching her 11th double-figure scoring performance. Her 13 assists broke the previous record of 12 held by LeShonda Lillard in 2008. In addition, she also registered five of the team's 13 steals. Junior Misha Jackson turned in a big effort with her second straight and seventh double-double of the year with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Senior Becca Feldman came off the bench and rounded out the team's double-figure scorers with 12 points on the strength of four three-pointers.
Emory got out of the blocks slowly in the first half, hitting just one of its first nine shots in falling behind by an 11-2 margin with 14:46 left in the first half. After a jumper by CMU's Jacquie Shaw gave the Tartans an 18-9 advantage, the Eagles roared back with a 15-3 scoring blitz, highlighted by six points from Lilly on a couple of three-point field goals and five points from Morgan, in claiming a 27-21 lead. After a couple of baskets by CMU cut Emory's lead to two points, the Eagles closed out the final 2:45 on the stanza on a 10-1 scoring run, capped by a three-pointer by Feldman with just eight seconds left on the clock. Lilly scored 11 first-half points to lead the Emory attack while Morgan totaled nine points. The Eagles connected on 38.5 percent (15-of-39) of their field goal attempts during the half, including 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from beyond the arc. The Tartans did shoot better from the floor, sinking 42.3 percent (11-of-26) but were hampered by 13 turnovers.
A jumper by Morgan with 16:11 left in the game extended Emory's lead to 13 points, but CMU scored nine unanswered points to creep back to within four with 14:19 left on the clock. A bucket by the Tartans' Emily Peel kept them within striking distance at five points with 12:15 remaining but a 10-2 Emory burst, the final four points coming from Morgan, pushed the Eagles ahead by a 60-47 count with 8:51 left. A subsequent 14-5 Emory over a 6:24 stretch gave it a 77-57 bulge with 1:16 remaining.
Emory's 17 victories represent the program's highest total since the 1997-98 season when that club finished with a 17-7 ledger.
Emory returns to action on Sunday (Feb. 19) when it plays at Case Western in a 2:00 p.m. start.
