Just over 2 1/2 minutes into the second half, women's basketball guard Morgan Kendrew '12 stole the ball from Emory University's Sally Peterson and laid it in to give the Judges a 13-point lead in Sunday afternoon's University Athletic Association competition at Brandeis.However, the 73-65 loss proved to be a heartbreaker. Emory went on a 20-1 run in the second half, punctuated by four straight 3-pointers and three Brandeis fouls to capture a substantial lead.

Emory pulled ahead with 3:14 left in the second half, which was its first lead since 18:35 remained in the first half.

Despite Emory's momentum, Coach Carol Simon opted not to call a timeout.

"I'm not a big timeout person," Simon said. "Our kids know what to do. [The breakdowns came] on the defensive end. . We weren't getting it done. Our guards were [defending] off of their guards; we didn't box out. A timeout wouldn't have made a difference."

For Brandeis, only two players notched scores in double figures. Kendrew scored a game-high 19 points and added eight rebounds.

Fellow guard, Lauren Rashford '10, provided vital energy, contributing 15 points. Forward Amber Strodthoff '11 dominated the boards for Brandeis with eight rebounds.

Despite several strong performances, the majority of Brandeis' game against the Eagles was focused on fast break points and rushed offense.

As Emory began to control the tempo, the Judges fell apart, which saw them commit 18 turnovers.

"Obviously, 18 turnovers is too many against that team," Simon said.

In addition to numerous turnovers, the Judges did not take quality shots. Several times, Brandeis players threw up wild shots with several seconds remaining on the shot clock instead of making an extra pass for an opportunity to score an easy basket.

"Sometimes it's hard for players to see the open teammate while trying to get a shot off," noted guard Carmela Breslin '10. "But that's no excuse. In practice, we're to attack the rim in those situations even if another player is open."

Despite the poor performance against Emory, the Judges began the weekend on a positive note.

On Friday night, Brandeis captured a vital 55-48 win over the University of Rochester at Red Auerbach Arena, ending an eight-game winning streak for the Yellowjackets.

Strodthoff led the Judges with 10 points and 13 rebounds to secure her third double-double this year as fellow post-player, Kasey Gieschen '10, put away 10 more. The two athletes dominated inside play and helped Brandeis outscore Rochester 20-10 in the paint.

Two more starters, guard Jessica Chapin '10 and Kendrew, contributed 11 points.

Rashford said that the team showed tremendous pride while playing aggressively for the entire game.

"I think we came out really aggressive and it showed how strong our teamwork was that four people were in double digits and Amber [Strodthoff] came through with 13 rebounds," said Rashford. "[Strodthoff] played extremely well down low and also did a lot of the intangible things the team needed."

Brandeis' strong defensive play held Rochester under 50 points for the first time this season.

"We really took them out of the game," Strodthoff said. We knew [junior guard Melissa Alwardt] was a great scorer and we really shut her down. It was our defense that won the game for us."

But the major turning point for Brandeis came with 1:50 remaining in first half play. Tied 22-22, Rashford knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Judges a lead they would hold until the final buzzer.

Strodthoff recognized the importance of the halftime lead.

"It's always good to feel you ended the half with a lead because it's more comfortable to have a little bit of a cushion," she said. "But we really wanted to come out strong in the second half and build from our first half play."

Despite their lead at half, the Judges struggled to pull away from the Yellowjackets in the second half. A 3-pointer by Chapin gave the Judges a 53-46 lead with 1:07 remaining in regulation.

The extended lead carried the Judges to victory in their second UAA win of the season.

The Judges next play Case Western University at home Friday night.