Having opened their season since our last publication, the men’s basketball team has gotten off to a tremendous start as they currently hold a 5-1 record. Four of their six games have been away, and those two away games were at UMass Boston as a part of the Black Coaches Classic tournament.
In their first game of the season, the Judges faced the Western New England (WNE) Golden Bears. The game was tight throughout, but the Judges prevailed. They were led by Toby Harris ’25, a D3hoops.com preseason All-American, who scored 21 points and had eight rebounds in an impressive first game back from injury. He missed all but three games last season, so he is back with a vengeance this year. In combination with strong performances by Ethan Edwards ’26, Sam Adusei (GRAD), Elias Rodl ’28 and Jai Deshpande (GRAD), the Judges led by as much as 18 points, but ended up only winning by six with a score of 85-79 over the WNE Golden Bears.
Next, the Judges traveled to UMass Boston for the Black Coaches Classic tournament. There, they faced Lesley University and Colby-Sawyer College.
Against Lesley, the Judges had a historic offensive performance, putting up the program’s second-highest single-game scoring total and margin of victory as they defeated the Lesley University Lynx, 118-65. Brandeis’s 53-point margin of victory is also the second-largest in school history. Under coach Jean Bain, this was the Judges’ first time scoring in the triple digits within regulation time. Each of the 15 Judges that dressed for this game scored at least three points, and five of them scored in the triple digits. Deshpande (GRAD) led the team with 17 points in 17 minutes of action.
Then in their game against the Colby-Sawyer College Chargers, the Judges did not get off to as quick of a start and took a moment to gain their footing as they were trailing 16-7 after just six minutes of play. After those uncharacteristic minutes, the Judges snapped into action as they had a 25-6 run to follow. They extended their lead over the Chargers to as much as 18 points before the first half concluded. The Judges maintained their momentum going into the second half and extended their largest lead to 20 points. The Chargers could only respond with four points in an effort to close the lead, and closed out the game with a score of 91-75 for the Judges. This was another high-scoring game for the Judges and nearly their second triple-digit game of their young season. In this game, Harris ’25 recorded his first double-double of the season and the sixth of his career with 23 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. He also hit 10-of-13 from the field, 1-of-2 from 3-point range and 2-of-3 from the line. It was the 14th career game with 20 or more points for the Judges.
In their next game, the Judges hosted the Rhode Island College (RIC) Anchormen at home in Red Auerbach Arena. This was another big game for the Judges as it was their third in a row scoring 90 or more points. Additionally, they had five Judges score in the double digits. The major difference maker in this game was behind the three-point line as the Judges outscored RIC 33-21. The Anchormen tried to creep back into contention late in the second half, but it was not enough to surmount to the Judges’ 93 points. The final score of the game was 93-86.
Looking to extend their win streak, the Judges hosted the Regis College Pride in their fourth consecutive game scoring 90 points or more. This is the best offensive streak the Judges have had in three decades. The Judges got out to a strong start as they outscored the Pride 21-4 in the first seven minutes of the contest. The Judges’ largest lead of the game came in the later stages of the first half, with a 27 point advantage. The Pride tried to fight their way back into the game, but the Judges did not budge. Their lead only dipped below 20 points before they were able to reestablish it. The game concluded with the Judges winning 90-61 against the Pride. Aedan Using (GRAD) led the Judges in all-around performances as he came away with eight points, game-highs of eight rebounds and five assists, as well as two steals.
In their most recent game, the Judges hosted the rival Babson Beavers in an at-home competition. This was a highly anticipated game for the Judges as they were looking to become the second team in school history to score 90 in five straight contests. Unfortunately, the Judges were unable to keep up with the Beavers and ultimately suffered their first loss of the 2024-25 season. The Beavers led in every statistic but points scored off the bench. Brandeis had 23 while the Beavers only had 14 points off the bench. The final score was 77 over the Judges’ 63 points.
Looking ahead, the Judges will play five more non-conference games before they embark on their 2025 University Athletic Association season. They also have three games left to play before winter break.
