Judges secure wins in competition over the weekend
Men’s basketball and men’s and women’s fencing hosted tournaments this past weekend, and both teams came away from them with several victories under their belts.
In the first game of the UAA Challenge on Friday, Dec. 1, Brandeis Men’s Basketball claimed a 68-58 victory over Bates College. Right from the tip-off, the Judges asserted dominance, surging ahead with an impressive seven-point streak, fortifying their lead and dictating the game's pace. Bates attempted to narrow the gap with consecutive three pointers, but Brandeis, guided by Coach Jean Bain, responded swiftly, extending their advantage with a seven point surge of their own.
The first half of the game witnessed Brandeis forging ahead by 14 points, yet the determined efforts of Bates saw them cut the deficit to six by halftime. Despite Bates' spirited play, Brandeis maintained a 33-25 lead at the break. In the second half of the game, the Judges surged to a 45-29 lead before the Bobcats mounted a thrilling comeback.
Crucial moments in the latter half, fueled by Jake Bender ’26 and a pivotal 3-pointer from Sam Adusei ’24, stalled Bates' resurgence and cemented Brandeis' 68-58 victory.
Individual brilliance illuminated the team’s performance. Adusei led the charge once more with 15 points, 16 of which were pivotal in the second-half surge. Bender made a substantial contribution with a career-high 15 points and a matching career-best of five rebounds. Additionally, Gilbert Otoo ’25 added an impressive 14 points to the scoreboard.
Guard/forward Ryan Power’s ’24 versatile play was pivotal, contributing four assists and four steals, bolstering Brandeis’ defense. While Bates' standouts displayed noteworthy performances, they couldn’t overcome Brandeis’ relentless gameplay.
Statistically, Brandeis displayed remarkable efficiency, shooting just under 50% from the field for their second game against Colby. Their adept offense was complemented by a sharp defensive strategy, evident by them maintaing a lead for 98.5% of the game with their largest lead being 22 points.
The outcome of the UAA Challenge bodes well for Brandeis Men’s Basketball, setting the stage for what promises to be a promising and enthralling season ahead.
Men’s basketball was not the only team hosting a tournament this past weekend, as Brandeis Fencing dominated the annual Brandeis Invitational. The men’s team went 4-3 on Sunday, making their overall record 9-15, and the women’s team went 4-2 on Sunday, making their record 9-17 overall.
The women’s squad’s victories were led by Kat Xikes ’26 (saber), and Bronwyn Rothman-Hall ’25 (epee), both earning 13 wins in their bouts. Mark Shamis ’25 (epee) had the most wins of the day, going 14-6. Shamis went undefeated against Yeshiva University and Lawrence University and went 2-1 against Drew University, Yale University, Cornell University, and Long Island University.
Another standout was All-American Maggie Shealy ’25, who went 11-2. Shealy went 3-0 against Yeshiva, Cornell, and LIU, 1-0 against Lawrence, and 1-1 against St. John's.
Hannah Du ’26 earned 10 wins on Sunday, going 10-3; and Du faced Drew, Lawrence, and Cornell and came away with a perfect record against the three schools. Calla Lee ’25 brought the Judges eight wins across two different weapons, an impressive feat. Lee’s saber record was 5-0, she took three more wins for the epee squad.
The Judges return in January with the annual Eric Sollee Invitational, another home meet.
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