Jillian Petrie ’21 has been a steady force for the Judges all season. Playing just five games a season ago, Petrie is averaging over nine points per game and is one of four Judges who has started all 16 contests. Petrie was instrumental in the Judges’ 86-81 road victory against Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) last Friday, scoring a career-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting. The win was the Judges’ third ever road win against WashU, and their second in the past three years. The forward has been more active on the glass as well, snatching six rebounds in a 68-60 overtime loss to the University of Chicago on Sunday. This was Petrie’s third straight game with at least six rebounds, after having grabbed five or fewer in the first 13 games. The Judges are now 12-4 with a 2-3 record in the University Athletic Association (UAA).
Friday: Brandeis 86 – WashU 81:
In a game that featured 12 lead changes and 10 ties, the Judges had four starters in double figures as they bounced back from their home loss to Emory University on Jan. 19. Junior Camila Casanueva ’21 paced the Judges with 20 points and tied a team-high with four assists. Although a guard, Casanueva led the game with three blocks. “We stuck to our game plan,” Petrie said in an email to The Brandeis Hoot. “It was great to see how we shared the ball on offense and played together,” she added.
Down 67-65 in the fourth quarter, the Judges went on a 6-0 run to go up by four with 5:45 remaining. The Bears clawed back, retaking the lead on a jump shot with 2:55 to go. On the ensuing possession, rookie forward Emma Reavis ’23 nailed a jumper to give the Judges the lead for good. The Judges, who lead the UAA in free throw percentage at 79 percent, went 11-of-14 in the period.
After entering the fourth quarter down four, the Judges outscored the Bears 27-18. Casanueva and Petrie combined for 17 of their 38 points in the period, as the Judges shot 7-of-13 from the field. “We did a good job reading what the defense was giving us and we took advantage of it,” Petrie said.
Senior guard Lauren Rubinstein ’20 had a game-high five steals, including three in the fourth quarter, as the Judges held the Bears to only 32 percent from the field in the quarter. The Judges outrebounded the Bears 47-41 and lead the UAA rebounding margin, grabbing nearly eight more rebounds than their opponents each game.
Senior Hannah Nicholson ’20 had her seventh double-double of the season, scoring 10 points to go along with 12 rebounds. Nicholson continues to lead the UAA in rebounding and is second in field goal percentage. Despite playing as a forward, Nicholson ranks fourth in the UAA in foul shooting, shooting 88 percent on the year. Casanueva is third, shooting 91 percent from the line.
Sunday: Chicago 68 – Brandeis 60 (in overtime)
Down 42-40 in the fourth quarter to 16th-ranked University of Chicago, the Judges scored seven straight points, capped off by a pair of free throws from junior Samira Abdelrehim ’21 to give the Judges their largest lead of the game 47-42. The Maroons went on an 8-2 run and took the lead 50-49 with 2:11 remaining in the quarter.
Rubinstein knocked down two free throws with 1:24 left to give the Judges a one-point lead, and following a Nicholson block, Casanueva made a layup, giving the Judges a 53-50 lead with 0:38 to go. After a Chicago timeout, the Maroons tied the game on a three-pointer from the wing with 0:25 still to play. The Judges called a timeout and had a shot to win, but Casanueva’s floater was blocked as time expired.
The Maroons scored the first eight points in overtime, going 4-for-5 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line. The Judges missed their first five and shot just 25 percent in the extra period. The Judges were held to 29 percent shooting from the field in the game and 22 percent from beyond the arc. The Maroons dominated inside, outscoring the Judges 36-18 in the paint. The Maroons made their extra opportunities count, scoring 20 second-chance points to the Judges’ six.
Casanueva led the Judges with 13 points while first-year sharpshooter Francesca Marchese ’23 scored 11 points, knocking down three three-pointers. Rubinstein scored 11 points and had a season-high eight rebounds.
After going 10-1 in non-conference play, the Judges have dropped three of their past five games. “Every weekend, the goal is to go 2-0. We put ourselves in a position to do that this weekend but unfortunately, we couldn’t get it done,” Petrie said in an email to The Brandeis Hoot. “The great thing about this league is that we get another chance to play them in a few weeks.”
The loss to University of Chicago puts the Judges in fifth place in the UAA, three games behind Emory, who is ranked 25th nationally and is undefeated in conference play.
Though the Judges have used just two starting lineups all season, their bench is a valuable asset for Coach Carol Simon. “We have depth on our roster and I think that makes us a very
hard team to compete against,” Petrie said.
The Judges will host Case Western University and Carnegie Mellon on Friday Jan. 31 and Sunday Feb. 1. Following this weekend the Judges play four consecutive road games before closing the regular season with three straight home games.
Editor’s Note: Camila Casanueva, Francesca Marchese and Courtney Thrun are staff members for The Hoot. Sports Editor, Sophie Trachtenberg, is also a member of the varsity women’s basketball team.
