With just over 10 minutes remaining during the women's basketball game against Babson College Saturday, guard Lauren Rashford '10 poked the ball away from Babson junior guard Caitlin Boulier and launched a half-court pass to fellow rookie Jessica Chapin '10. Chapin drove down the court undefended and put in an easy layup.Similar scenes transpired almost every play for the rest of the game as the Judges used dominant defensive play down the stretch on their way to a 60-42 home win over the Beavers.

Brandeis went on a 14-0 run in the last 13 minutes of the game, forcing 11 turnovers over that span and holding Babson to a paltry 19 percent shooting in the second half. The Judges forced 31 turnovers during the game and recorded a season-high 20 steals.

Guard Jaime Capra '08 led the Judges with 19 points, while Chapin had a season-high 15. Brandeis improved to 6-0 after cracking the top-10 of the d3hoops.com national rankings earlier in the week.

"[Our] defense in the second half was great," coach Carol Simon, whose team was ranked No. 8 before the game, said.

"In the first half, we were allowing [Babson] to run their plays. We weren't putting pressure on the ball where we needed to."

Babson coach Judy Blinstrub explained after the game how her team melted in the face of the Judges' second-half defense.

"We got flat [in the second half]," she said.

"We went into a funk and couldn't get out of it. When [Brandeis] picked up the tempo on the defensive end, it shut us down."

The Judges had built a 12-point lead with just four minutes left in the first half, but that advantage shrunk to only one point after a 12-0 run by Babson.

But Brandeis, leading 31-30 at halftime, buried the Beavers after the break.

Although she didn't carry the Judges offensively Saturday, captain and center Caitlin Malcolm '07 was an instrumental cog in the team's defense.

And after scoring just three points and grabbing three rebounds in the first half, Malcolm turned the corner in the second half, closing the game with 11 points and eight rebounds.

"[Malcolm] did a much better job defensively," Simon said.

"She didn't shoot particularly well, but that's fine as long as she's picking it up on the defensive end."

Saturday's game also displayed the quick maturation of the Judges' rookie guard tandem of Chapin and Rashford; the pair played 24 and 20 minutes, respectively, Saturday.

"I trust [Chapin and Rashford] a lot," Simon said.

"Sometimes they make rookie mistakes, but you live with that. They are a very athletic twosome and are truly fearless."

In a shuffling of the Judges' starting lineup Saturday, Lauren Orlando '09 started in place of Amanda Wells '09 at forward. Simon has been experimenting with the fifth starting spot, with Cassidy Dadaos '09 also filling that role.

Brandeis has won all but one of its games this season by double-digit margins. The team's only close call came last Tuesday at Wheaton College, as the Judges squeaked by the Lyons 73-72.

With a 21-3 run in the first half, the Lyons led the Judges by 26-15 with 6:15 remaining before the break. Brandeis cut the advantage to 35-32 by halftime, and the tight game went back and forth the rest of the way.

Wells converted a three-point-play in the final six seconds of the game to give the Judges the win.

Capra led the Judges with 19 points in the win, while Malcolm chipped in 12. Brandeis also forced Wheaton into 24 turnovers.

"I have to give Wheaton credit because they really came out and played what probably will be one of the best games they are going to play all year," Capra said.

"We were lucky to come out with the win."

The Judges play their final home game of the semester Wednesday against Worcester Polytechnic Institute at 7 p.m.

The team then travels to Western New England College in Springfield, Mass. Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip-off.