The women’s basketball team lost both games it played this week, falling to Emory University on Friday night and the University of Rochester on Sunday afternoon. 


Judges 39, Emory 53

The squad struggled all game against the visiting Eagles as they dropped to 9-6 on the season. A shaky offense was the team’s major weakness, as it failed to even put up 40 points on the day. The lackluster offense was led guard Eva Hart ’18 who scored 10 points for the Judges. Hart also added eight rebounds to her impressive stat line. Forward Hannah Nicholson ’20 was another standout for the team as she recorded nine rebounds and eight points. 

Brandeis only shot 25 percent for the game, while Emory shot just under 40 percent. The Eagles’ primary offensive attack came in the second quarter when they outscored the Judges 18-7. They closed out the home team with a 13-7 edge in the fourth quarter as Emory improved to 10-6 on the year. 


Judges 61, Rochester 68

Last Friday the squad faced one of its toughest tests yet when it matched up with the No. 7 ranked Yellowjackets. Rochester, one of the top teams in the University Athletic Association, and a projected future champion by many, has been nothing short of dominant at this juncture of the campaign. It has accumulated an overwhelming record of 14-1 overall, and 4-0 in conference play. That run would not end on the road against the Judges.

Even with the daunting challenge of a formidable opponent, Brandeis kept up with the visitors from Rochester for much of the contest. However, the squad got off to a sluggish start, getting outscored 26-13 in the first quarter. The culprit for the Judges in the period was their inability to hold on to the ball, committing seven turnovers in the first quarter alone. 

Led by a stifling defensive pressure, the Judges were able to climb back into the game in the second quarter. Rochester only converted on three of their 15 field goal attempts in the second, totaling only seven points. Brandeis was able to convert strong defense into offense and trim the deficit to only one, 33-32, going into the halftime break. Guard Noel Hodges ’18 was the leader in the period, scoring eight points to lead the attack. Her biggest play came with under a minute left when she hit on a three-point attempt that gave Brandeis a temporary lead. 

Both teams battled in the third quarter, with guard Katie Goncalo ’20 scoring five points in a row which handed the Judges a four point lead with just over seven minutes left in the period. The team would reach its largest lead of the game with less than three minutes left in the quarter when it led Rochester 48-41. However, the lead would shrink to down to two as the third quarter buzzer sounded.

In the fourth, Rochester showed why they are one of the top teams in all of Division III. The beginning of the period was part of a particularly dominant run for the Yellowjackets. Not only did they jump out to a quick eight straight points, Rochester also held the Judges from scoring a field goal for almost the first five minutes of the quarter. The squad attempted to claw back in the game but Rochester held on to the lead, as they were able to convert from the free-throw line, going 7-10. 

During the defeat, Hodges was stellar for the squad, tying a career-high with 13. She was 4-6 from the field, and also hit on all four of her free throw attempts. Guard Sarah Jaromin ’19 was also big for the team, coming off the bench to record 12 points. Forward Jillian Petrie ’21 was the leader off the glass, securing eight total rebounds for the contest as a whole. Brandeis actually outrebounded Rochester, 45-38.  

The team will be back in action next this Friday evening at home when it faces off with Case Western Reserve University. Its conference home stand will continue on Sunday with a matchup against Carnegie Mellon University, closing out the month of January.