The women’s basketball team went 1-1 this past weekend, losing to Carnegie Mellon University 66-60 on Sunday and defeating Case Western Reserve University 69-66 in overtime on Friday. With the loss on Sunday, the Judges fall to 9-9 overall and 2-5 in University Athletic Association play.

Judges 60, Carnegie 66

Despite coming back from a 10-point deficit in the second half, Brandeis dug itself too deep of a hole in the third quarter. 

Brandeis led 16-11 with just over a minute and a half to play in the first quarter after a layup from guard Niki Laskaris ’16. The Tartans came back and tied the game at 16-16 at the end of the quarter on a layup from Carnegie sophomore forward Jackie Hudepohl.

The Judges fell behind in the second quarter and headed into halftime down 32-27.

 In the third quarter, Carnegie outscored Brandeis 19-14. Carnegie led 53-43 with seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter, but the Judges went on a 16-6 run to tie the game at 59-59, highlighted by three 3-point shots from guard Frankie Pinto ’17. 

Carnegie went on a 6-0 run and the Judges could only score one more point on a free throw from guard Paris Hodges ’16. 

Guard Heather Cain ’17 led the Judges with 16 points to go along with six rebounds and two assists. Brandeis shot 27.4 percent from the field, while Carnegie shot 44.4 percent. Guard Kyla Gabriel ’17 had four assists and three rebounds. She was disappointed in the team’s performance but said she was excited for the opportunity for revenge against Carnegie next week. 

“We lacked the execution and intensity that we had at both ends of the court in Friday's game,” Gabriel said. “We're excited to get a second chance at them next weekend at their place.”

Judges 69, Case 66 (OT)

Brandeis was down by as many as 23 points in the game but still found a way to get the tough victory on Friday night. 

The Judges remained fairly even with the Spartans in the first quarter but trailed 14-11 at the end of the period. Case was able to pull away in the second quarter, outscoring Brandeis 25-11. 

The Spartans shot 60 percent from the field in the quarter while the Judges shot only 11.8 percent. A free throw from forward Sydney Sodine ’17 cut the deficit to 39-23 midway through the game.

Brandeis started coming back late in the third quarter. The Judges trailed 46-23 with 6:44 to go but went on an 11-0 run highlighted by six points from Sodine. Brandeis trailed by nine points at the end of the third quarter.

The Judges took control in the fourth quarter, converting seven Case turnovers into 11 points. Brandeis shot 6 for 6 from the free throw line in the quarter. 

Down by three, Brandeis forward Maria Jackson ’17 hit two free throws to cut the lead to 59-58. After a free throw from Case Western, Hodges hit two foul shots with 14 seconds remaining to tie the game at 60-60.

The overtime period featured four lead changes. After the Spartans tied the game at 66-66 with roughly a minute and a half remaining, Cain converted a three-point play after getting fouled on a layup with 12 seconds left to take a 69-66 lead. Case tried to tie the game on two 3-point shots but neither would fall.

Gabriel noted how the game was a tale of two halves. 

“Friday's game was definitely one of the best games I have ever been a part of. We started out the first half really cold. Case Western's shots were falling, and ours simply were not. We could not buy a basket,” Gabriel explained. “Going into the second half, we knew defense was the only way to get back into the game. I think putting on our full-court press was the key to our comeback. We forced turnovers, capitalized on extra opportunities and gained unstoppable momentum.”

The Judges snagged an incredible 50 rebounds, led by a double-digit rebounding performance by Sodine. More impressive, though, was the team’s total of 25 offensive rebounds, which gave the Judges a plethora of extra opportunities to get another basket. 

This was arguably the key to the game, as Case had a slim six offensive rebounds. 

Together with only 13 turnovers, the Judges were able to keep the ball for the large majority of play. 

Brandeis looks to continue its dominant play next on Friday at Case at 5 p.m. and avenge last Sunday’s loss this coming Sunday against Carnegie at 2 p.m.