The Judges snapped their three-game losing streak with a win against University Athletic Association rival Case Western Reserve University on Friday. Two days later, the Judges lost to Carnegie Mellon University, another UAA rival. These games bring the team record to 13–7 overall and 3–6 in the UAA.

Judges 80, Spartans 71

The Judges broke their three-game losing streak with a victory over the CWRU Spartans. This was the Judges’ third conference victory and their 13th overall win for the season. The first quarter began slowly; it took almost two minutes for either team to get on the scoreboard. At 8:04, the Spartan’s Melissa Heath made a layup, and just over 30 seconds later she made a second, bringing the score to 0–4. The game proceeded for over two minutes with this score before Camila Casanueva ’21 captured the Judges’ first points of the game with a 5:22 jump shot. However, the Spartans responded with a three-pointer from Isabell Mills, bringing the score to 2–7. Brandeis’ Francesca Marchese ’23 came back with a three-point shot of her own at 4:43 followed by another jump shot by Casanueva at 4:26, tying the game at seven. The Judges gained momentum toward the end of the quarter and ended on top with a score of 21–15.

The Judges never lost their lead in a slower second quarter. They entered the second half with a six-point lead capped off by a layup made in the last two seconds by Courtney Thrun ’21 assisted by Casanueva. 

Within the first 15 seconds of the third quarter, Jillian Petrie ’21 made a layup followed shortly by another from Hannah Nicholson ’20 that brought the Judges’ lead to ten points. Emma Reavis ’23 followed suit at 7:53 to bring the score to 42–30. Thirty seconds later, Nicholson made two free throws. After a layup and another free throw from Nicholson, the Judges led 47–30 with 6:59 left in the quarter. After this nine-point run to start the half, the Spartans responded with a free throw by McKenna Gross in response to a foul by Nicholson. The Judges kept their substantial lead for the rest of the quarter which concluded with a 13-point lead and a score of 60–47. 

The final quarter solidified the Judges’ victory. Although the Spartans closed the gap to nine points, the Judges finished strong to end the game victorious with a score of 80–71.

Thrun led the team in points and rebounds this game, with 17 and 12, respectively. Casanueva led the team with nine assists. This was the first home game that CWRU dropped this season.

Tartans 70, Judges 56

The Carnegie Mellon Tartans beat the Judges in a Sunday contest that resulted in a final score of 70–56. In the first quarter, both teams were slow to score, but when they did, it was the Tartans who got on the scoreboard first with a three-point shot by Makayla Filere with 8:54 remaining in the quarter. It took until 6:33 for the Judges to score, when Petrie made a jump shot to bring the score to 2–8. The Tartans maintained a steady lead throughout the rest of the quarter, at one time having as large as a 14-point lead over the Judges until a three-point shot by Casanueva narrowed the gap to 11 at 1:17. Going into the second quarter, the Judges trailed 13–22.

During the second quarter, the Judges faced a similar fate as the Tartans made the first shot — a three-pointer by Filiere with 9:26 remaining. The Tartans ended the first half with a free throw by Caitlyn Clendenin with 47 seconds remaining to put them ahead of the Judges by 12. The teams went into the second half with a score of 26–38 in favor of Carnegie Mellon.

In an interesting turn of events, the Judges made the first shot of the third quarter with a jump shot from Petrie. However, Filiere responded just 18 seconds later with a three-point shot. After two more baskets by the Tartans, Casanueva made another three-point shot that brought the score to 31–45. After Revis made a free throw at 7:03 bringing the score to 34–48, neither team scored again for over a minute, until Kerry Tanke ’22 made two free throws on a foul by the Tartans’ Megan Jaeb. However, just 18 seconds later, on a foul by Casanueva, the Tartans’ Leah Weslock made two free throws. The rest of the quarter moved at a slower pace than it had thus far, but ultimately the Tartans outscored the Judges 20–18 for the quarter, landing the score at 44–58 entering the final 10 minutes of play.

The Judges put forth a bold effort in the fourth quarter, with both teams scoring 12 points, but it was not enough to overcome the Tartans, who walked away with the win. With 8:28 remaining, Casanueva made two free throws on a foul  by the Tartans’ Laurel Pereira. Tanke also made a free throw with 7:32 remaining on a foul by Carnegie Mellon’s Emily Archer. Fourteen seconds later the Tartans’ Katie Higgins made a layup, followed by one from the Judges’ Samira Abdelrehim ’21 just 12 seconds later, which brought the score to 49–64. The last points of the game were made by Reavis — a three-point shot that brought the final score to 56–70. They had a stronger showing in the fourth quarter, but the Judges were never able to overcome the deficit that started so early in the game.

Up next, the Judges will be on the road against the University of Rochester Yellowjackets at 6 p.m. on Friday.