The Brandeis men's basketball team had a three-game winning streak snapped on Sunday when they were beaten by Emory 93-79. The weekend wasn't a total loss for the Judges, however, as they inched past Case Western on Friday 59-56.Going into Sunday's match-up with the Emory Eagles (1-3 UAA, 9-5), the Judges (2-3 UAA, 4-8) were a perfect 4-0 inside the friendly confines of Auerbach Arena.

The Emory contest began as the previous two had, with Brandeis falling behind early. Although the game was initially close -- there were four lead changes in the first five minutes -- Emory led by nine with eight minutes to go in the first half. Emory's 18-9 advantage came courtesy of sophomore forward Clayton Fuller and senior guard Jo Jo Cadray, who combined for 17 points. Over that same period, the Judges converted just four of 11 field-goal attempts and turned the ball over three times.

Throughout the remainder of the first half, Brandeis fared far better. With six minutes to play before halftime, the Judges embarked on a crucial 14-4 run. At the 5:54 mark, the game was tied at 23. Brandeis center Pat Collier '06 was a dominant inside force, pouring in eight of his 14 points with a barrage of hook shots, spin moves, and lay-ups.

In the previous game against Case Western Reserve, Collier had what Coach Chris Ford described as "his coming-out party." The young pivot finished the Emory contest with 14 points and five rebounds in 25 minutes of play (Collier's effectiveness has been limited by a nagging case of tendonitis in his right knee).

After coming back to tie the game, the Judges momentarily ran out of gas, and Emory countered by retaking the lead with a 10-0 run. Brandeis forward Tim Diehl '04 put a stop to the ten unanswered points, hitting two free throws with 2:56 left in the half. The Judges went into halftime trailing by four, 36-32.

Brandeis did not open the second half any better than the first, as the Eagles jumped on the home squad for seven points in the first two minutes. They took what seemed to be a commanding 43-34 lead. Once again, Brandeis responded to adversity before the game got out of hand. Led by forwards Ben Bosanac '04, Bryan Lambert '04 and Glen Wright '05 (who combined for a decisive 38 points), the Judges again closed the gap to 51-47 with 13:54 left in the game.

The Judges kept the game close for the next six minutes, but even their 56 percent second-half field-goal accuracy couldn't salvage a game that had gotten away from Brandeis. Emory shot an astounding 58.1 percent from the field in that half, converting five of nine attempts from beyond the arc as well as 16 of 17 shots from the charity stripe. The result was a disappointing 14-point loss.

Ford was clearly disgruntled with the Judges' lackluster start.

"We did not come out and play hard in the beginning," he said. "We let them intimidate us and we played soft."

"This is the third consecutive game where we got off to a poor start," said Lambert. "And, you can't keep doing that. Hopefully we'll learn from it and move on."

The game against CWRU (1-4 UAA, 4-12) on Friday gave the Judges their third consecutive win and their second straight come-from-behind victory.

The Judges were fortunate to escape a 12-4 hole seven minutes into the game, as Collier entered and made an immediate impact, scoring four points in his first four minutes of play.

Brandeis overcame some shoddy first-half shooting statistics (36 percent) and three second-half turnovers that threatened to ruin the Judges' chances of victory. Down seven (44-37) with 10 minutes to play, Collier re-entered and poured in seven points in two minutes. His three-point play with six minutes to go put the Judges ahead for good.

Ford had an explanation for why the Judges started so poorly and how they fought back into contention.

"We weren't making shots and we settled for perimeter jumpers," he said, "But, later Lambert and Collier killed them inside and Bosanac and Diehl did a great job defending (CWRU guard John) Link." Link, Case Western's leading scorer, was pressured into three of 16 shooting from the field.

"Being down and coming back shows we're a tough team. We don't put our heads down," Lambert said.

The Judges battle Tufts University tonight at Auerbach Arena. The Jumbos, who have won four of their past five games, are led by Brandeis transfer Mike McGlynn (17.9 points per game), sophomore center Craig Coupe (14.3 ppg) and guard Brian Shapiro (13.2 ppg).

Under the guidance of head coach Bob Sheldon, Tufts boasts an impressive resume of victories: they've beaten New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rivals MIT, Connecticut College, and Wesleyan University.

On Saturday, they were blown out on the road at Bates College by 16 points (88-72). In a losing effort, Coupe and McGlynn scored 16 apiece for Tufts. The Jumbos are 8-7 overall and 2-1 in NESCAC competition.