Mar 07, 2025
(BALTIMORE, Md.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's basketball team opened the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament on Friday afternoon with a 69-58 victory over Bridgewater State University in Baltimore, Maryland at Johns Hopkins University to advance to the second round.
Game Information
Carnegie Mellon 69, Bridgewater St. 58
Records: Carnegie Mellon (21-5), Bridgewater St. (19-7)
Location: Baltimore, Maryland (Goldfarb Gymnasium)
How it Happened
- Bridgewater scored the first three buckets of the game and led 7-1 two minutes into play.
- Over the next 3:31 the Tartans used a 14-1 run and led 15-8. During the spurt, the Tartans converted 6-of-7 from the floor while senior Anisha Chintala accounted for eight points.
- The Bears answered by scoring the next seven points to pull the score to a tie at 15-all, but the Tartans scored the final eight points of the first quarter, including a triple by junior Nicole Timko at the buzzer to give the Tartans a 23-15 lead.
- The Tartans were outscored 13-5 in the second quarter and after shooting 52.9% (9-17) from the floor in the first quarter they were held to 25.0% (2-8) as the teams went into the locker room tied at 28-all.
- The Bears led 35-30 three minutes into the third quarter before freshman Payton Baney made a layup and then a triple by senior Catherine Or from the corner once again tied the score. A free throw by Chintala and a pair by Timko gave the Tartans a 38-35 lead with 4:20 on the clock in the third.
- The Tartans then held a 44-41 advantage after three quarters of play after shooting 50.0% (5-10) in the frame.
- Carnegie Mellon opened the fourth quarter on a 15-5 run and led 59-46 with 5:09 to play. During the run, senior Isha Nambisan accounted for seven points.
- The Tartans maintained control over the final five minutes of play. And went for the victory.
Tartan Stats
- The Tartans shot 45.7% from the floor while connecting on 5-of-17 for 29.4% from behind the arc.
- Or led the Tartans with 18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
- Nambisan ended the game with 14 points, Chintala had 12 while junior Savannah Gibbs finished with 11.
- Baney ended the game with a team-high nine rebounds.
Bear Stats
- The Bears shot 33.3% from the floor while connecting on 7-of-20 for 35.0% from behind the arc.
- Kylie Grassi led the Bears with 22 points while Lexi Thompson had 10 points.
Game Notes
- The Tartans are now 4-3 all-time in NCAA Tournament contests.
- Carnegie Mellon advances to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the second time in program. In 2015-16 the Tartans advanced to the sectional semifinal.
- This was the first meeting between the two teams.
- The 21 wins ties the most in program history, as the 1990-91, 2015-16, and 2016-17 squads recorded 21 wins.
- Or has 1,550 career points and ranks third all-time in program history. She needs 46 more to move into second.
- Or has 809 career rebounds and ranks fifth all-time in program history. She needs nine more to move into fourth.
- Senior Anisha Chintala has 985 career points.
- The Tartans have recorded 166 made three-points this season broke the program single-season record of 165 set in 2013-14.