If it is indeed true that defeat is a better teacher than victory, the Brandeis University men's basketball team really went to school last week.After beginning the week with a 77-68 win over Mt. Ida College on Tuesday, the Judges (2-7 UAA, 6-12) lost rematches to UAA foes University of Chicago 82-49 on Friday and Washington University 99-62 on Sunday.

Sunday, the Judges faced a daunting task in their rematch against Washington University, the top-ranked team in the NCAA Midwest Region. The Bears (9-0 UAA, 20-0) dominated the Judges last week in St. Louis in a 92-60 route.

After Brandeis opened with a basket that gave them their only lead of the game, the Judges were unable to score for the next eight minutes as WashU built an astonishing 25-2 lead. This would prove to be a deficit from which the Judges could not recover.

The offense showed signs of life for Head Coach Chris Ford late in the first half, but the Judges could never cut the lead below 17. They shot 39.3 percent from the field in the first half and made no three-pointers in five attempts. Brandeis' seven successful foul shots accounted for just under one-third of their points. At halftime, they were behind 47-29. While no single WashU player dominated the first half (senior guard Joel Parrott led the team with 16 points on the afternoon), the Bears did what they do best with relentlessly steady team-oriented play. They shot 48.6 percent from the field at Auerbach Arena.

Brandeis endured more anguish in the second half. While WashU made only three three-pointers, they again shot 48.6 percent from the field and continued to play as a cohesive unit. They had four players finish in double figures, as guard Matt Tabash and All-America forward Chris Jeffries combined for 27 points.

Despite their offensive struggles, the Judges did have a few highlights. With 12:19 remaining in the second half, the Judges produced the most exciting offensive play of the game. Guard Stuart Pradia '05 brought the ball up the court, and when he reached the three-point line he threw a no-look pass across the perimeter into the hands of guard Tim Diehl '04. Diehl then faked a shot before passing it inside to forward Glenn Wright '05, who made a lay-up and drew a foul.

Brandeis also had strong performances from several individuals. Center Bryan Lambert '04 had the best individual performance of the game, scoring 21 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Pradia and Wright also had solid games, contributing 10 points each.

On Friday, the Judges looked for revenge against the University of Chicago after a 73-57 loss to the Maroons last week. Unfortunately, they faired little better against Chicago than they did against WashU.

Against Chicago, Brandeis ran into a 6-7, 235-pound basketball machine in senior center Derek Reich. Reich is the top player in the UAA, averaging 26.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. He is also the main reason the Maroons have won seven consecutive games and are second in the UAA. Against the Judges, Reich essentially scored at will, pouring in 24 points in the first half, a feat that equaled the output of the entire Brandeis team. Reich finished the game with 40 points and 14 rebounds, tying season highs in both categories.

In the first half, the Judges had the same problems that plagued them against Wash U. They started the game in a 21-1 hole after 11 minutes from which they could not come back. Glenn Wright was the team's lone bright spot, scoring 10 points on five of six from the field (he finished the game with 11 points). The Judges suffered a major blow in the first half when Pat Collier left the game because of tendonitis in his knee. He scored six points in 11 minutes, but was unable to return and did not play on Sunday. He is expected back for Tuesday's game at Amherst College. Brandeis shot 35.7 percent from the field, 0-5 from the three-point line, and 66.7 percent from the foul line in the first half. At halftime, Chicago led 43-29.

The second half was a virtual mirror of the first. The Judges shot 34.4 percent from the field, 0-4 from the three-point line, and 60 percent from the foul line. The Judges were never behind by less than 18 in the second half.

The Judges' early offensive struggles have been a recurring issue for Ford. "We came out and could not put the ball in the bucket early. After the beginning it was an uphill battle. [To be able to win] you have to stay within striking distance and put the ball in the bucket, said Ford.

The high point of the week was the Judges' 77-68 win over visiting Mt. Ida College. Even though the Judges came away from this game with a win, they struggled at times.

First, the Judges were thrown out of their rhythm when it was unexpectedly announced that the Judges would have to play a game in the Shapiro Athletic Center for the first time since 1990. In a moment reminiscent of some monster Shaquille O'Neal dunks from years past, a rim was bent out of place during pre-game warmups. Brandeis was also facing a Mt. Ida (0-6 North Atlantic Conference, 4-15) team that, despite playing in a lower-tier D-III conference, was primed for an upset.

The Judges started the game strong, scoring 22 points in the first 12 minutes for a 22-12 lead. But Mount Ida refused to give up, and the visiting Mustangs charged back as freshman guard Greg Canzater hit four three-pointers in the first half (he finished with a game-high 23). Canzater's hot hand pulled the Mustangs back within one at 33-32 with 3:12 remaining in the half. The Judges were able to hold the Mustangs scoreless for the remainder of the half, extending their lead to seven (39-32).

Brandeis maintained a slim lead for the first seven minutes of the second half before stretching it out to 12 at 52-40. The Judges maintained this cushion for the next nine minutes, and it appeared that Mt. Ida would not be able to give the Judges any further difficulties.

But with Brandeis leading 71-59 with 4:24 remaining, the Mustangs began to claw their way back into contention. The Judges went scoreless for the next 3:13, while Mount Ida scored six. With 37.8 seconds remaining, Lambert hit a jump shot to put Brandeis up by nine. Mount Ida made a jumper on the ensuing possession, but was forced to foul with time running short. Jon Marks went to the line with 22.1 seconds left and hit both foul shots to give the Judges a 75-66 lead. The Mustangs missed their next shot, and quickly fouled Marks again. He made both foul shots again, giving Mt. Ida no chance to come back.

"We definitely played down to the level of our competition," said guard Greg Kristof '04. "They came out with something to prove. Even though we won, we should have played a lot better. But a win is a win."

The 37-point loss to Wash U. is the Judges' greatest margin of defeat this season and the 33-point defeat to Chicago is their third-worst. Although they faced very tough competition, these losses exposed many of the Judges' weaknesses, particularly on offense. The first major problem is that Brandeis was without center Pat Collier '06. Collier has been a steady source of offensive production and rebounds off the bench. But the freshman has also been plagued by tendonitis in his knee and was unable to play Sunday after leaving the game early against Chicago. He is, however, expected back on Tuesday night. Without Collier, the Judges have been unable to score consistently in the post.

Forward Glenn Wright, who led the team with 10 points in 29 minutes of play against WashU, is hopeful that the Judges can emulate the unity displayed on Sunday by the visitors from St. Louis.

"I just want us to play together as a team," he said, "We need to keep it together and keep playing hard. Nobody is going to give up as long as everyone keeps their heads up."

Tonight, the Judges will face Amherst College (17-3, 6-1 in NESCAC competition) at 7 p.m.