The women’s basketball team put a stop to their four-game losing streak this past weekend after winning one of their two contests.

Brandeis earned their revenge against conference rival Emory University with a close win at home on Friday.  This was much needed, as the victory was the first for the squad in over two weeks.  On Sunday, the Judges were unable to find similar success at home against the University of Rochester with a hard-fought loss to end their week.

Judges 65, Rochester 77

Brandeis finished their week of basketball with a tight home loss against the University of Rochester 77-65.  While the squad matched Rochester’s point spread in the second half, they were unable to fully come back from their first half deficit.  The Judges out-rebounded Rochester by 21 boards but faltered in other areas on the court that resulted in the close defeat.

The Judges turned the ball over seven more times than their opponent, and Rochester capitalized on these mistakes with 18 points scored off turnovers compared to Brandeis’ eight points.  The two other areas that stood out the most were points from the line and the benches.  The Judges made as many free throws as their Rochester competitors — but on seven more shots, 60.0 percent to 83.3 percent.  Furthermore, the Judges scored a mere two points off the bench, while Rochester accumulated 24 points from their reserves.  Despite their strong work on the glass, the Judges were unable to make up for their shortcomings in other vital parts of the game.

Forward Sydney Sodine ’17 had an extremely impressive day as she tied for the team lead with 18 points.  Forward Maria Jackson ’17 recorded yet another outstanding double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds.  Jackson was also an absolute monster on defense.  She came away with six steals and three blocks for one of her best performances of the season.  Guard Paris Hodges ’17 had a solid showing for the Judges, as well, with 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.  She was also a perfect five-for-five from the line.

Judges 61, Emory 59

Earlier in the week, Brandeis got out of their funk with an exhilarating victory over Emory University, 61-59.  The squad dominated with 18 more points in the paint than Emory.  They were also able to keep up with their opponents on the boards, and this strong all-around presence down low allowed them to come away with the well-deserved win.

Jackson led the way for the Judges once again and proved on the court why she is one of the two captains of this team. She led the game with 22 points and also recorded eight rebounds. Jackson made her presence known on defense, as well.  She led the game in steals with three and blocks with two as she put on yet another superstar performance.  Fellow captain Hodges stood out in this game, too, for the Judges.  She added 12 points, two assists and five rebounds for her team.  She was impressive on the other side of the court, as well, with a pair of steals.

The Judges are only one win away from tying their season total from last year, as they have shown great improvements in five fewer games.  This talented squad can easily come away with a winning record this season to get back on track after last year’s sub-.500 showing. They have an incredibly strong and gifted leadership core that has carried this team so far, and they have a lot to look forward to with their new additions.  Fans have every reason to believe that they can come together as a team to jump to the top of the University Athletic Association conference standings in the near future.