PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Sophomore forward Austin Fowler (Farmington Hills, MI/Brother Rice) scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed a game-best 12 rebounds as the Case Western Reserve University men's basketball team won its University Athletic Association opener, 64-62, at Carnegie Mellon University (PA) on Saturday, January 8 at Skibo Gymnasium.  

The Spartans improve to 5-7 overall and have now won three of four. Carnegie Mellon falls to 3-8.

In addition to Fowler's fourth double-double of the season, senior wing Reid Anderson (Avon Lake, OH/St. Edward) scored 13 points and senior center Eric Duerr (Gibsonia, PA/Pine-Richland) totaled 10 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots.

Carnegie Mellon was led by Christian Manoli with 14 points.

The Spartans never led in the first half and Carnegie Mellon built a nine-point lead when Matthew Pettit hit a layup to make the score 19-10 at 9:16. Case rallied with an 8-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Anderson at 7:19. The Spartans then got to within one on two more occasions -- the last coming at 24-23 when senior forward Alex Hildebrandt (Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) made a tip-in with 4:42 left in the half. However, CMU was able to finish the half on a 10-5 run to lead 34-28.

In the second half, the Spartans opened on an 8-0 run to grab their first lead, of 36-34, when junior forward Tom Summers (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional) hit a jumper at 17:23. The lead then changed hands several times before a 5-0 CMU run ending with an Andre Moore three-pointer gave the Tartans a 52-46 advantage with 8:35 left to play.

Case rallied with another 8-0 run ending in a triple by freshman point guard Mike Byrne (Newton, PA/Holy Ghost) that made the score 54-52. After CMU tied the score twice, the Spartans built their advantage to five, at 62-57, when Fowler nailed a jumper with 3:23 left on the clock. The Tartans chipped away down the stretch and had a chance to tie it, but a Manoli jumper at the buzzer missed, giving the Spartans the 64-62 victory.

For the game, the Spartans held a key 48-36 advantage on the boards.

The Spartans are back home to host their first UAA weekend of the season next Friday and Sunday. Case hosts New York University on Jan. 14 at 8:00 p.m. and Brandeis University (MA) on Jan. 16 at 12:00 p.m.