The women’s basketball team played host to two University Athletic Association conference opponents this past weekend, losing contests to Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Chicago. The squad lost to the WashU Bears 77-58 Sunday afternoon after falling to the University of Chicago Maroons 67-50 Friday night. The Judges fall to 9-7 overall and 1-4 in UAA play.

 In Sunday’s game the Judges started off well but played poorly down the stretch. Brandeis outplayed No. 4 WashU in the first half, outscoring the Bears 44-32 heading into the locker room, but the Judges were out rebounded 25-11 in the second half, and were ultimately unable to maintain their lead.

 “My team kept fighting but in the end the game came down to rebounds,” said guard Paris Hodges ’17. “Second chance opportunities are what cost us the game.”

 Guard Hannah Cain ’15 led the way for the Judges at the start of the game, scoring 11 of her 15 points in the first half. Hodges added 13 points herself in a first half that saw 11 Brandeis players score. The Judges went on to shoot 56.7% from the field and limited WashU to just 26.2% from the field in the first half, but the Bears collected 14 offensive rebounds compared to just four for the Judges before the break.

 WashU changed from a man-to-man defense to a 2-3-zone defense in the second half, and focused on pressuring Brandeis’ ball handlers. The Judges could not seem to find an answer to the defensive pressure and scored just 14 points in the second half, shooting 22.6 percent from the field. The Bears again showed their strength in offensive rebounding, collecting an additional nine offensive rebounds in the second half. WashU senior forward Melissa Gilkey led all scorers with 21 points.

 Unlike Sunday’s game against WashU, Brandeis fell down early to Chicago on Friday night. Chicago started the game on a 7-0 run and took a 32-22 lead into halftime. After a free throw from forward Tori Dobson ’16 gave the Judges their first points, Chicago went on a 10-4 run that lasted for four-and-a-half minutes and gave them a double digit lead that they would hold onto for the rest of the game.

 The Maroons started the second half on another run, outscoring the Judges 11-1 on a four minute run to begin the half, and did not let up, leading at one point by as much as 28 points. Dobson registered a double-double for Brandeis, tallying 13 points and collecting 11 rebounds, but it was not enough for the Judges to come away with a win.

 Hodges scored 12 points and has played consistently well for the Judges recently, scoring over 10 points in three of her last four games. She sat out the beginning of the season with an injury, and admitted that “it took a while for me to get my confidence back. I owe the restoration of my confidence to my teammates because they have supported me throughout my injury.”

 After starting the season winning six of their first seven games, the Judges have faltered recently-currently on a three-game losing streak, all against UAA opponents. Hodges said she thinks the team can get back to its winning ways by focusing on fundamental parts of the game.

 “I think the team needs to continue to give the best that we have,” she remarked. “Focusing on little details and making sure we box out should be the difference between a win and a loss.”

 The Judges look to start a new winning streak this Friday when they host Emory University at 6 p.m.