With 2 minutes, 31 seconds left in regulation last Sunday and the 12th-ranked men's basketball team deadlocked at 77 with Bridgewater State College, guard Joe Coppens '08, left alone beyond the arc, buried his fourth three-pointer of the game to give Brandeis an 80-77 advantage and then confidently backpedaled into his defensive position. "I was excited to have the ball in my hands in that situation," Coppens said. "Right when I released it I knew it was good. It was one of those times when [the ball] comes right off your fingertips, and you know you just nailed it."

The field goal capped a 20-6 run, which erased an 11-point second half deficit, as the Judges defeated Bridgewater State 84-79 to win the Brandeis Tip-off Tournament. Brandeis is now 2-0 after defeating Kenyon College 70-61 last Saturday.

The Judges won the tournament despite playing a majority of their two games without forward Steve DeLuca '08, a preseason second-team All-America selection by D3hoops.com. DeLuca, who is recovering from a back ailment (see story, page 14), played just 27 of a possible 80 minutes over the weekend.

Without DeLuca in action for large parts of both games, coach Brian Meehan said he was impressed with Coppens' leadership.

"Coppens just didn't step up as a player; he stepped up as a leader [as well]," Meehan said. "He was getting our guys to really get after it. He was begging and pleading for a little more effort, and he got it out of them."

Forward Terrell Hollins '10 led the team with 26 points and added six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Coppens had 24 points, while guard Kevin Olson '09 chipped in 15. The trio of Hollins, Coppens and Olson hit a combined 25 of their 35 field goal attempts.

Bridgewater State controlled the tempo for the first 31 minutes of play, converting 11 of its first 17 three-pointers en route to building a 71-60 lead with 8:58 left in the second half.

Coach Brian Meehan called a timeout, and players said that turned the game around.

"At that point I'm saying [to the team], 'You're down 11 points-when are you going to realize your backs are against the wall?'" Meehan said. "I thought we played with very little passion [early on]."

Shortly after the timeout, Hollins scored on a layup to cut the deficit to nine. On the subsequent Bridgewater State possession, Hollins stole a pass with his left hand and saved the ball to forward Stephen Hill '08, who found guard Olson open beyond the three-point line. Olson hit the shot directly in front of "The Jury" cheering section, bringing Brandeis to within 71-65 with 8:06 remaining.

"We had some pressure on Bridgewater and [Hollins] rotated over to make a great steal," Olson said. "Bridgewater was scrambling, so I was wide open in the corner. I got a good look and was fortunate to knock it down."

A layup by point guard Kwame Graves-Fulgham '08 pulled Brandeis within 73-71 with 6:57 left in the game. On the next possession, Graves-Fulgham and Bridgewater State junior forward Roland Millien went after a loose ball, which sent Graves-Fulgham flying into the third row of the stands and Millien crashing into the first row of the bleachers.

Graves-Fulgham was fine, but the collision left Millien motionless on the sideline. Paramedics and trainers tended to Millien for nearly 20 minutes before he was removed from the court on a stretcher. Millien regained consciousness and limited motion on the court, according to Bridgewater State assistant coach Mike Donovan.

"He's our spiritual and emotional leader," Donovan said. "The game was drifting away from us, and losing him then was tough."

With 3:28 left in the game, Hollins hit a jumper to tie the score at 77, setting the stage for Coppens' late-game heroics.

Meehan said he was impressed with Hollins' all-around effort.

"Hollins is a man-child," Meehan said. "We didn't give him the ball often enough. [In addition to] the 26 points he scored and his five assists, he probably accounted for another 10 points by making the first pass."

Brandeis topped Kenyon College 70-61 in the first round of the tournament last Saturday behind 14 points, six rebounds and five assists from Graves-Fulgham.

Brandeis plays Suffolk University on the road tonight at 8 p.m. before traveling to face Tufts University Sunday at 1 p.m.