Brandeis women’s basketball broke a three-game losing streak with a win against Salem State University on Tuesday, Nov. 27. The away game ended with a 13-point Brandeis advantage, with a final score of 74-61.
The Judges gained their largest lead throughout the first half of the game, putting up an impressive 24-point first quarter. The second quarter, though relatively low-scoring, saw the Judges extend their lead by four points. By halftime, Brandeis was up 35-18.
Eighteen of the Judges’ 35 points in the first half were scored by Camila Casanueva ’21. Her shooting numbers equaled the point accumulation of the entire home team in the first half. The Judges would hold on to the first half lead for the rest of the game.
In the third quarter of the game, Salem State put up their best effort, scoring 26 points and closing in on the Judges. The opposing team diminished the Brandeis lead by five points, ending the quarter at 56-44. Casanueva added a total of five points for the Judges in the third quarter, raising her point total to 23.
The Judges eked out a fourth quarter advantage, scoring 18 to Salem State’s 17 points in the final period of the game. Again, Casanueva came out on top in points for the Judges, netting seven and reaching a total of 30 points for the game.
Casanueva was helped out by other Judges players as well in the away-game win. Kat Puda ’21 put up her best game yet in assists, providing help to her teammates by achieving five assists. Other high scoring teammates included, Sarah Jaromin ’19 (11 points), Jillian Petrie ’21 (ten points) and rookie Shannon Smally ’22 (ten points).
The Judges had a quick return to campus after the Thanksgiving break, hitting the court again on Sunday, Nov. 25. They had experienced their third loss in a row before the game on Tuesday.
In the Sunday game, Casanueva also led the Judges in performance. They played against the sixth-ranked Tufts University, losing the game 63-110. Despite the tough loss, Casanueva again put up double-digit points for the Judges, leading in scoring for the team with 18 points. She also led in assists, earning five helpers for her teammates.
The Judges will look to capitalize on their momentum by returning to the court on Saturday, Dec. 1. The team will play at home against Johnson & Wales University at 1 p.m. as they look to improve on their 2-3 record for the season. Johnson & Wales holds a 1-3 record after facing losses from Brown, Bates and Connecticut College.
