In the final regular season matchup of the 2022-2023 basketball season, the Brandeis men fell short of the New York University (NYU) Violets in Brooklyn, New York. The Violets defeated the Judges 70-57, outsourcing the Judges by 12 points in the first half and just one point in the second half. Despite defeating NYU earlier in the season, 81-61, the Judges were unable to match their opponent’s pace for all 40 minutes. The Brandeis men finished the regular season with a record of 12-13 overall, 4-10 in the University Athletic Association (UAA).
The Violets had the upper hand to begin the first half, as they took the time to honor their seniors on their home court prior to tip off. Wasting no time, NYU ran the ball to earn an early 17-6 lead over the Judges five minutes into play. After calling an early timeout, Coach Jean Bain substituted David Perez-Miralles ’24 into the fire, who successfully ignited the Judges offense. Immediately, Perez-Miralles converted a layup into a 3-point play, followed by a steal; in that same possession, Perez-Miralles knocked down a three from behind the arc. A five-point turnaround put the Judges into striking distance with 13 minutes to play in the first half, 12-17. The Judges kept pace for the next four minutes bringing it within three, but the Violets could not be contained; the hosts knocked down 8-of-12 from behind the arc and hit 15-25 from the field. While the Judges shot a respectable 42% from the field, it was no match for the hosts 60% in the first half.
While the Violets sustained their momentum to start the second half, the Judges went on a 10-point run, closing within five, 57-52, on a put-back from rookie Quron Zene ’26 with eight minutes to play. After earning a stop on the next possession, the Brandeis men were unable to continue their run. The Judges unfortunately remained scoreless for the next seven minutes, unable to convert rebounds, blocks and steals into scoring opportunities. The Violets, on the other hand, remained efficient from the field to secure the home court victory, 70-57.
Overall, it was the Violets 3-point percentage that set them apart from their opponent, as they hit 40.7% to the Judges 20%, as well as offensive rebounds (11-5) leading to a 13-5 advantage in second chance points. However, Brandeis’ field goal percentage (42.9%), free throw percentage (71.4%) and points in the paint statistic (36) were all incrementally better than the Violets: 41.8%, 68.4% and 22 respectively.
Toby Harris ’25 tied for game-high honors with 18 points on 8-of-13 from the field, hitting two of the Judges four total 3-pointers. Perez-Miralles provided a necessary spark off the bench for the Judges, scoring a career-high 12 points in 22 minutes of action; he also had a game-high four steals. Zene led the Judges with seven rebounds, while Ryan Power ’24 ran the offense for the Judges, tallying three assists.
While the Judges faced injury early in the season, Coach Jean Bain kept his team focused, driven and competitive as they faced stiff UAA competition this season. The UAA earned five spots in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Tournament. The Judges look to return with a full roster in the 2023-2024 season.
