The women’s basketball team was unable to get out of their recent slump this past week with three more losses.

The Judges were unable to pick up their 11th win of the season after losing to Washington University in St. Louis, Emory University and the University of Rochester.  All three opponents were from the conference, and the squad is still looking to find their way to the top of the pack.

Judges 77, Rochester 58

Brandeis ended their week with their fourth consecutive loss, as they were unable to defeat the University of Rochester 75-58.  The loss dropped their record to 10-8.  After a tough first quarter, the Judges played competitively, but they were unable to build enough momentum to overcome their opponents.  The University of Rochester team displayed better ball movement with seven more assists than the Judges and also outrebounded the squad by a noteworthy 10 boards to take home the win.

Guard Noel Hodges ’18 led the way for the Judges with a team-high 13 points.  She also added five rebounds and two assists and was perfect from the line.  Forward Maria Jackson ’17 had a stellar game for the squad, as well, picking up 11 points, three rebounds and an assist.  She put in work on defense, as she was tied for the team lead with two steals and a clean block.  

Judges 50, Emory 61

Just two days before, Brandeis lost in a close contest against conference rival Emory University on Friday 61-50.  The Judges kept the game close through all four quarters of play but were slightly edged out until the final buzzer.  While the squad kept up with Emory on the boards and from the field, Emory displayed an impressive amount of hustle with nine more points on the fast break, ultimately leading to their narrow victory over the Judges.  

Jackson was an absolute menace on both sides of the court for the Judges.  She notched 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds en route to a spectacular double-double to help keep the squad in the game.  Jackson also defended the post well, adding a block.  Forward Sydney Sodine ’17 was a force for the hard-fighting Brandeis team, as well, with nine points, three assists, four rebounds and a steal.  

Judges 54, WashU 70

Brandeis started their most recent stretch of games this past Sunday with a hard-fought defeat at the hands of Washington University in St. Louis 70-54.  While both teams committed 14 turnovers, WashU made the most out of their opponents’ mistakes, scoring twice as many points off turnovers than the Judges.  Furthermore, as shot better from the field than Brandeis, 51.0 percent to 38.9 percent, and beat out the squad from behind the arc, 45.5 percent to 28.6 percent.  The Judges also tallied nine fewer assists, as they were unable to come away with the win.

Guard Katie Goncalo ’20 made the most of her seven minutes off the bench as she led the team in scoring with 10 points.  She was perfect from behind the arc and shot 80 percent from the field in an outstanding offensive showing.  Jackson was a leader for the squad, dropping six points and five rebounds.  She made her presence known on defense, as well, leading the team with a pair of steals.  Guard Paris Hodges ’17 also had a nice day for the Judges with eight points and five rebounds in her 34 minutes on the court.

  The Judges have almost matched their win total from last season in seven fewer games and have shown huge improvements from last year.  

Brandeis’ season continues on Friday, as they will look to earn a much-needed win at home against Emory University.