Brandeis has a very good chance in this tournament. The Lady Judges finished second in a very tough division by defeating tough opponents like Rochester, not only at home but on the road. For victory to happen though, there are several factors to be taken into consideration.
1. Caitlin Malcolm. She is the star of this team, averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. As a result, Salem State will be dedicated to, at the very least, slowing Malcolm so that she doesnt do too much damage. Malcolm has been banged up lately, though still has been playing strong. Well see how she holds up. Salem State could also let Malcolm score and shut everyone else down, which leads to the second point.
2. Jaime Capra has to produce from the outside. With Malcolm in the paint (and at times chucking 3s) it is important for Capra to provide that outside presence to keep defenses honest and make life easier for Malcolm. Capra has been tough all year, battling injuries that at one point left her arm in a sling. Shell need to continue to have that grit.
3. Point guard Amanda DeMartino 06 had a rather weak year, even though she finished second in the UAA with 4.9 assists per game and now holds the schools career assists mark. At times she was sloppy with the ball, committing a team leading 66 turnovers, and had difficulty creating her shot. Now that she has made it to the NCAA Tournament, DeMartino needs to step it up, keep the offense even-keeled, and make passes to the inside, because once the inside game is established smoothly between her, Malcolm, and Christine Clancy, there is little that can stop them.
4. Brandeis needs strong play from the bench. Courtney Tremblay 08 and Kiersten Holgash 08 are the only bench players with experience, and they have to be ready. As for the rest of the bench, rookie Lauren Orlando 09 has shown that she can be a force, as has Amanda Wells 09, even though she was inconsistent throughout the year. As rookies largely make-up the bench, theyll have be ready to go through the ring of fire in this game. Should the bench struggle to contain Salem State if Brandeis takes the lead, Coach Carol Simon is not afraid to ride her starters, even at the risk of exhaustion.
5. Timeouts. One storyline that should be interesting is what Coach Carol Simon does with her team if and when they struggle. Having admitted to not being a fan of using timeouts, Coach Simon usually leaves her players in there, even when the other team go on a run. This is a risky strategy because it runs the risks of demoralizing the players and wearing them out.
6. Finally, Brandeis needs to develop the killer instinct. In too many games of late, Brandeis will start off by dominating the first half, then fall flat in the second half. This is odd because, in the beginning of the year, the Judges would start slow, and then build up as the game progressed. The Judges can be their own worst enemy.
