The Brandeis women’s basketball team entered the weekend looking to rebound from last Sunday’s disappointing loss to Emory. Now, after a pair of crucial home victories, the team is looking toward the future. The Judges played their way to a 71-52 victory over the rival Case Western Reserve Spartans on Friday night.

They followed that effort up by defeating the Carnegie Mellon Tartans 70-58 on Sunday afternoon.

The weekend’s wins wrapped up the first half of University Athletic Association play. Brandeis sits in fourth place, with a record of 11-6. The Judges are 4-3 in conference play.

The weekend’s star was guard Jessica Chapin ’10, who tallied a combined 59 points and 13 rebounds over the two games. Her performance earned her UAA Athlete of the Week honors for the second time this season. She also received the New England Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s nod for Player of the Week.

Case Western jumped out to an early lead on Friday, tallying their first basket barely more than a minute into the game.

For much of the first half, the Spartans controlled the play, taking a nine point advantage at 27-18 with 4:05 to play in the session. Chapin and forward Shannon Hassan’s ’12 clutch play at the line allowed the Judges to enter the half with a five point edge. Twenty minutes in, the Judges led 34-29.

The teams traded both buckets and leads for the first nine minutes of the second half.

Then–with a Chapin steal sandwiched in between–guard Morgan Kendrew ’12 made two consecutive threes, giving Brandeis a lead it would never relinquish.

But the action did not stop there. After being fouled on a hard drive to the hoop with just over five minutes remaining in the game, Chapin showed some fire with a fierce fist pump. She then made the free throw to complete the three-point-play.

Chapin’s 32 points were two short of a school record and one off of her career high. Her 10 rebounds gave her a third double-double for the season and the seventh for her career. Diana Cincotta ’11 and Hassan also registered double digits, scoring 12 and 10 points respectively.

The 52 points matched Case’s lowest offensive output of the season.

Sunday’s game started off on a better note for the Judges.

They only trailed once in the first half, being down 7-6 just 3:23 into the game. Brandeis’s biggest lead of the half was eight points. With a Chapin shot netting twine at the buzzer, the Judges entered the break up three at 33-30.

The early deficit would end up being Brandeis’ only of the game, as the Judges ended up outscoring Carnegie Mellon 37-28 in the second half.

However, despite carrying the play for much of the affair, the Judges were unable to pull away until a 9-0 run – capped by a Chapin three – gave them a commanding 12 point lead with 3:57 to go. A major key to success was accuracy from behind the charity stripe. The Tartans got into foul trouble early and the Judges delivered, shooting 16 for 17 from the line throughout the course of the afternoon.

Chapin followed up Friday’s performance with 27 points and five assists.

Forward Amber Strodthoff ’11 totaled 7 boards and four steals – each a team high – in addition to her 14 points.

The Judges hope to replicate last weekend’s victories with success on the road. They will take their game to the Midwest, for rematches against both Case Western (11-7, 2-5) and Carnegie Mellon (8-10, 1-6).

The Judges’ next return home on Feb. 12 to face off against the conference-leading Washington University Bears (16-2, 6-1).