In his first year as head coach, Jean Bain lead the Brandeis University Judges to an incredibly successful season, winning 11 more games than the previous 2017-2018 season and ultimately capturing an Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship (ECAC) this past weekend. After this three-game post-season extension, the Judges finished out the season with a record of 18-11, posting the most wins in a single season since their last ECAC berth in 2011.

In the opening round, Brandeis hosted the John Jay College Bloodhounds, winning handily by a margin of 75-49. This was one of the most explosive offensive games of the season, especially from behind the arc. Collin Sawyer ’20 hit six threes, while Corey Sherman ’19 went four for six from three, shooting an impressive 67 percent. This led to a 20-point lead to end the first half, as the Judges never trailed the Bloodhounds over the course of the game. Such remarkable shooting continued in the second half, ultimately ending in a 26-point win for the Judges. Chandler Jones ’21 lead the team in rebounds and assists, totaling at nine and six respectively. Sawyer finished with a team high of 21 points, with Jones adding in 19 and Sherman putting in 16. Eric D’Aguanno ’20 also hit his 179th three-pointer of his career, moving him into fifth place on the all-time leaderboard.

Next, the Judges headed down to Frederick, Maryland, for the next three rounds of the tournament, taking on Marywood University in the quarterfinals. The Judges defeated the Pacers with a score of 86-77, making this their highest scoring game of the season. Throughout the first half, the game was close, having five ties and seven lead changes. Going into the second half, the Judges only led by one point. The second half continued in a close fashion, with the Judges being able to pull away at the very end, hitting seven out of eight free throws to close out the game. Sherman lead the way with 20 points, with Latye Workman ’18 adding eight rebounds, and Lawrence Sabir ’21 having a team high of eight assists. This hot scoring night featured five Judges in double figures, coming from Sherman, Jones, D’Aguanno, Sawyer and Workman.

In the semifinals against Drew University, the Judges kept with their high scoring trend, shooting a cumulative 54 percent from the field, which was their highest all season. After a close first half, Jones opened up the second with two quick baskets to extend the lead to 11 points. The Rangers went on a run to close in on the Judges’ lead, but Brandeis responded with a 9-0 run of their own, sealing their lead for the rest of the game. D’Aguanno led the Judges in scoring with 25 points on five made threes. Workman added a team high of seven rebounds, with Sabir and Nolan Hagerty ’22 both contributing three assists a piece. This win would place the men in the finals with a chance to bring home their first postseason championship under Bain and his coaching staff.

Against the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers University-Newark, the Judges fought hard to bring home the program’s fourth ECAC Division III championship. The athleticism and quickness of the Scarlet Raiders was good competition for the Judges, as the two teams went back-and-forth all half, seeing 10 ties and eight lead changes. Going into the half, Brandeis led by two, with Rutgers-Newark going on a 6-0 run shortly after the opening of the second half. The Judges forcefully responded after a timeout, outscoring the Scarlet Raiders 10-0. The game continued in this fashion, with each team going on their respective runs. In the final two minutes of the game, however, the Judges played lock-down defense, holding their opponents to only four points and forcing three turnovers. This result in a 72-60 win for the Judges, who were able to take home the ECAC crown.

Along with the first-place trophy, two players brought honors back to Waltham. Sherman received the ECAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after his impressive performances, as he averaged 16 points per game, shooting 50 percent from the field and 60 percent from behind the arc. Jones was also named to the All-Tournament team while averaging 18 points and seven boards over the course of the four games. As a program, the Judges are 4-0 in ECAC championship matches, improving to 12-3 overall in ECAC tournament games. These four added wins helped the men end the season with a totaled record of 18 wins and 11 losses, an 11 win swing from last year’s performance.