With 15 minutes, 32 seconds left in the second half of the women's basketball season opener at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute last Sunday, the Judges had extended their 10-point halftime lead to 15 when forward Shannon Hassan '12 put in a layup off a pass from rookie forward Courtney Ness '13. Hassan's easy basket started a 14-0 run for the Judges that put the Engineers out of reach. Brandeis outscored WPI 32-8 in the second half en route to a 66-32 victory to put the Judges at 1-0 to start the season.

Co-captains guard Jessica Chapin '10 and forward Kasey Gieschen '10 helped set the tone for the Judges. Chapin's 12 points and four steals, combined with Giechen's career-high 12 points and eight rebounds, assured the victory.

Off the bench, guard Diana Cincotta '11 contributed 11 points while guard Morgan Kendrew '12 added 10 more.

Cincotta had a key early basket, when she hit a two-point jump shot with 12:21 left in the first half. The jumper put Brandeis ahead 12-6 and propelled the squad to its first big run of the game to go up 25-6 with 8:34 left in the half.

Coach Carol Simon played 15 players in the game, capitalizing on the depth of this year's team. Simon emphasized the importance of solid play off the bench.

"Our depth really showed [against WPI]. Rotating a lot of players tired [WPI] out," Simon said. "Even when we subbed, our level of play didn't go down, and that allowed us to continue to play our brand of basketball."

Chapin said that it is not unusual to see a varying lineup in the early games of the season and that "a lot of changes will occur in the next couple weeks" as the players learns one another's habits and playing styles. Chapin added, "It is always good early in the year to have the younger players in game situations."

Despite their lead in the second half and the 34-point victory, Brandeis had its share of struggles in the contest. Following the Judges' 15-0 run at 8:34 when they led 25-6, the Engineers fought back, putting pressure on the Judges and forcing them to evaluate their level of play as the Engineers outscored the Judges 18-9 to close out the half.

Junior guard Elle Fontaine notched a game-high 13 points to lead the Engineers.

Gieschen noted the team's struggles late in the first half.

"We got complacent," she said. "When we had our halftime meeting, we decided not to be so relaxed. We determine the outcome of the game and we wanted to prove to people we know our potential."

Cincotta said the major problem was a lack of defensive intensity.

"We weren't boxing out, and a lot of their points were coming off second chances. We realized that if we focused on boxing-out and defending we could eliminate a lot of their scoring," she said.

Simon said that the team's co-captains led the Judges in their second-half run.

"We came back in the second half playing our brand of basketball," Simon said. "Most of Chapin and Gieschen's points came in the second half. [Gieshen] really played within herself and capitalized on that, and Chapin pushed the ball up the court and attacked really well."

Looking ahead, Simon stressed the importance of playing "the full 40 minutes," and to play "the way we want to." Chapin also noted that the Brandeis defense and communication could always be improved.

"Working together is always a priority," Chapin said.

The Judges will play at Babson College tonight at 7 p.m. and then host Wentworth Institute of Technology Friday at 6 p.m. to open the annual Brandeis Tip-Off Tournament.

The team will then face either Bates College or Mt. Holyoke College Saturday afternoon.