PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA -- Freshman guard Audrey Smolik (Strongsville) scored a career-high 16 points and grabbed a career-best four rebounds as the Baldwin-Wallace College women's basketball team defeated Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) University, 50-47, tonight (Wednesday, November  30, 2011) in the Skibo Gymnasium. Smolik has led the team in scoring the last two games.

With the win, the Yellow Jackets won their second straight game improved to 4-1 on the season and the Tartans fall to 2-4.

In addition to Smolik for B-W, junior forward Nancy Coulter (Washington Court House/ Miami Trace) scored a season-best 13 points and a career and game-high 10 rebounds and sophomore guard Jessica Lairson (Louisville) added eight points. Carnegie Mellon was led by Emily Peel with a game-high 20 points.  Gabrielle West contributed 11 points and Jacquie Shaw added nine.

After two minutes of scoreless action,  the Tartans opened up the scoring on a layup by Peel at the 17:55 mark.  The Yellow Jackets would respond a minute later (2-1) when Coulter split a pair of free throws at the 16:20 mark.

After the Coulter free throw, Carnegie Mellon would go on a 6-0 run to extend its lead to a first half-tying seven points (8-1) at the 14:53 mark on a layup by Shaw.

B-W would outscore the Tartans 13-7 over the next eight minutes to cut the lead down to one point (15-14) on a layup by Coulter that was assisted by senior forward Catherine Spisak (Sandusky/St. Mary's Central Catholic) at the 6:53 mark. The Tartans would  go on an 8-2 run to extend their lead to a first-half tying seven points (23-16) at the 3:24 mark capped off by a three pointer by West.

The Yellow Jackets would use a 7-0 run to tie the game (23-23) on a lay up by Coulter with 1:01 remaining in the opening period.  Carnegie Mellon would take a two-point advantage into the intermission (25-23) as West hit a pair of free throws.

B-W would open up the second half on an 8-2 run to take its first lead of the game (32-27) at the 14:11 mark as Smolik scored six of the points all coming on three-pointers.

The Tartans would use a 5-0 run to tie the game (32-32) on a jumper by Peel at 11:33.  The game would remain tied until Yellow Jacket freshman forward Jenna Andreas (Pickerington/ North) nailed her first career three-pointer and first career  points to regain the lead (35-32) at 8:55.

The game would be tied on four more occasions with the last coming at 3:30 on layup by Carnegie Mellon's West.  The Tartans would get a close as one point (48-47) on jumper by Shaw with 49 seconds remaining.  B-W would seal the game on a jumper by Smolik with 23 seconds to play.

The Yellow Jackets open Ohio Athletic Conference action this Saturday, December 3 when they will travel to Marietta to take on the Pioneers of Marietta College in the Ban Johnson Arena at 3:00 p.m.  The next home game is on Wednesday, December 7 when B-W will host Heidelberg University in an OAC game in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center at 7:30 p.m.

FOR MORE B-W Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.