Brandeis women's basketball coach Carol Simon once described the game as one of peaks and valleys. The key, she stated, was limiting the opponent's peak runs while extending the team's own breaks. In a slop filled Sunday afternoon, little went right for the Judges as they followed up Fridays narrow 52-50 win over Chicago with a disappointing 45-51 defeat at the hands of Washington University.
The game started off rough for the Judges as they fell behind by eight in the first half, though they managed to cut it in half by half time. The second half featured multiple lead changes, with Brandeis pulling ahead by five with over three minutes left to go. It was then that Washington went on a 14-3 run, culminating with Brandeis missing a crucial rebound on a missed Washington free throw. As a result, the game slipped out of their grasp.
Guard Jaime Capra 08 led the Judges offense, recording 16 points and 9 rebounds in the losing effort. She was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line. Lauren Orlando 09 provided eight points while Cassidy Dadaos 09 also chipped in seven points. Caitlin Malcolm 07 had a tough game, as she was swarmed by two or three defenders every time she touched the ball. She finished with six points, though she tied Orlando with nine boards.
The Washington University Bears were paced by second year player Jaime McFadden, who had a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds while teammate Sarah Schnell had 14.
Brandeis out-rebounded Washington 43-37, but had worse shooting percentages from the field and was especially ineffective from long distance, with the Judges converting only 2 of 14 attempts compared to the Bears 4 of 12. If there was a positive to take away from this game, it was that Brandeis managed to close the gap after losing to the Bears by 19 back on January 21. This was a big improvement for a young squad.
The defeat comes after Brandeis swept formerly number 12 ranked Chicago in a tight 52-50 affair. Capra and guard Alison Chase 07 led the offense with 11 and 10 points respectively in a game that could be summed up as a battle of the runs.
Brandeis jumped out to an early lead only to have Chicago tie it up. It remained back and forth as the first half closed with Brandeis barely up 24-23. The second half saw Brandeis roaring out in front, using a 15-2 run to give them a 13 point lead, but Chicago refused to quit and clawed back to take the lead. With 2:46 left in the game, the University of Chicago Maroons clung to a one point lead, but the Judges' defense would not allow them to score any more, and three free throws gave Brandeis the win.
The weekends actions dropped Brandeis two spots to number 21 according to d3hoops and WBCA polls, and tied with Chicago in fourth place in the UAA. Brandeis takes on Carnegie-Mellon tonight and will then face Rochester on Sunday at 2:00pm.
These games are key for Brandeis, with their postseason hopes on the line and no way of knowing how many at large bids will be made available to the UAA. It is crunch time for the Judges.
