With about a minute and a half to go in the second half against Salem State College Friday night in Brunswick, Maine, Christine Clancy '06, the Judges' imposing center, is awarded a pair of free throws.Brandeis is up 58-54 in a back-and-forth tussle to open its first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament. Clancy's first shot swishes through the net: Judges 59, Vikings 54.

Her second shot circles around the rim. In the bleachers, Paul and Judi Clancy of Yarmouth, Maine watch the ball like hawks.

After what seems like forever, the ball drops through the hoop. Judges 60, Vikings 54, and the Clancys are filling the arena with their cheers.

"This is way too stressful," Judi says, glancing away from the court for a second.

In Christine's four years playing basketball at Brandeis, Paul and Judi Clancy have attended all the Judges' home games and nearly all the road games, too. When the Judges visit Emory University, Paul and Judi can be usually counted upon to show up in Atlanta.

More than just fans, they are chroniclers of the entire team. Their home in Yarmouth houses score sheets collected from the last four basketball seasons.

The Clancys are Brandeis supporters through and through, even if it means turning on their alma mater.

Paul and Judi both attended Bowdoin College as undergrads, but when asked if there might be some internal conflict over which team to support in a Brandeis-Bowdoin match-up, Paul's response is immediate:

"We'll root for Brandeis," he says. "No question about it."

Good thing, too. Clancy ended up leading all players with 19 points (also a personal season high, as Paul points out) in her last game, as Brandeis won 63-59 in its first NCAA tournament game ever.

"It's awesome," Christine says.

In the background, her family nods in approval