Four Brandeis Judges reached double digits in scoring but it was not enough to overcome Lasell’s 12 three pointers as they dropped the season opener in a 66-68 upset.

Steve Deluca GRAD showed little sign of rust, leading the Judges with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Kevin Olson ’09 had 14 points after making all four of his three point attempts. Andre Roberson ’10 chipped in with 12 points and four rebounds though he was unable to convert a lay up at the end of the game to force overtime. Rookie Tyrone Hughes’ ’12 play off the bench proved to be a bright spot for Coach Meehan, picking up 10 points off the bench.

As balanced as the Brandeis offense was, they had no answer for Lasell guard Junior Sanival who finished with 23 points and hit seven out of his ten three point attempts. Brad Caravoulias was the other double digit scorer for Lasell putting up 10 in the winning effort.

Poor shooting at inopportune points doomed the Judges. The first half saw only seven shots out of 23 attempts converted, a ghastly 30.4% clip while the second half saw a decline in free throw shooting – going 7-11 at the line in the half. A repeat of the first half clip of 10-11 would have given the Judges victory. Of course if my mother had wheels, she would’ve been a trolley car.

Outdated expressions aside, Coach Meehan will hope to see his squad rebound from their disappointment as they continue on the road and take on WPI on November 22 before returning home to the familiar comforts of Red Auerbach Arena on November 25 as they take on UMass-Dartmouth at 7:30.

Obviously not the way anyone would want to start the season but the season still retains a faint scent of freshness and there is more than enough time to turn this around. Still, it is now on them even more than ever to justify their high preseason rankings and prove that they belong in the NCAA tournament for the third straight year.