The women’s basketball team started their season off strong this past week winning two of its first three games.

The Judges shined in their season opener after overpowering Roger Williams University.  The squad then crushed the Wentworth Institute of Technology in the Brandeis Tip-Off Tournament before losing in a nail-biter against Westfield State University in the championship game of the hometown tournament.

Judges 74, Westfield St. 76

Brandeis ended their week with a tough loss against Westfield State University in the final round of its tournament, 74-76.   The squad outscored Westfield State in each of the three quarters, going up by as much as 20 in the third quarter, but unraveled in the end, as Westfield State beat out the Judges 26-11 in the decisive final quarter.  Brandeis was superior in shooting from the field (48.3 percent to 41.2 percent) and outrebounded Westfield State (42 rebounds to 30) but committed eight more turnovers leading to 26 points.  

Guard Frankie Pinto ’17 and forward Maria Jackson ’17 led the way in scoring for Brandeis with 18 points each.  Pinto also shot 4-11 from downtown, scoring the only threes of the game for the Judges.  Jackson was a menace on defense with two steals and two blocks and also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.  Guard Hannah Nicholson ’20 had a stellar performance off the bench with 10 points and five rebounds in just her third game of her collegiate  basketball career.  

Judges 75, Wentworth 44

The day before, Brandeis opened up the Brandeis Tip-Off Tournament with blowout win over Wentworth 75-44.  Neither team shot particularly well from the field, but the Judges dominated in the paint, as they had 36 points down low compared to Wentworth’s six, and they outrebounded them 55 to 30.  In addition, the squad showed their remarkable depth with 10 more points off the bench than Wentworth.

Guard Paris Hodges ’17 made her presence known on the court with 11 points and a pair of steals.  However, Jackson stole the show once again for the Judges.  She led the game with both 21 points and seven rebounds and was 9-10 from the field.  Hodges and Jackson, the two captains for the Judges, have proved early on this season why they are the leaders of this squad.

Judges 61, Roger Williams 46

On Tuesday, Brandeis started off its season well with a statement win over Roger Williams 61-46.  The Judges had five fewer turnovers, 14 more rebounds and a significantly higher 3-point shooting percentage than Roger Williams en route to their first win of the year.  

Forward Sydney Sodine ’17 was a monster in this one, picking up a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds as she shot 7-10 from the field.  She was a defensive force as well with a game-high three steals, and a block.  Pinto led the team in shots from beyond the arc once again, with three, as she scored 13 points for the game and added four assists.  Hodges had yet another impressive performance with eight points and nine rebounds.

The Judges are off to a phenomenal start this season; they are an incredibly talented group with a strong leadership core, and their only loss of the season was a very close and extremely well played game.  Fans can look for the squad to carry this early momentum with them as the season progresses, and the team looks to establish itself as a force to be reckoned with in the conference. The Judges will continue today as they take on Emmanuel College and look for their third win of the regular season.

Brandeis will look to continue their successful start on Tuesday at home against Emmanuel College.