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With eight minutes, 47 seconds left in the first half of Sunday's game against the University of Rochester, the Judges were finally in cruise control. 
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Forward Erika Higginbottom '13 drilled a jumper to stretch Brandeis' lead to 20-14 and, at that point, the baskets were falling. The Judges seemed to put their offensive woes from previous road matches at New York University and Emory University, in which they only scored a combined 56 points, far behind them.
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Guard Kasey Dean '14 led the squad with 14 points, headlining two other double-digit performances. However, the first-half emergence proved to be a false dawn that the Judges would emerge from their five-game losing streak, as the team eventually succumbed to a 72-58 loss. 
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With the loss, Brandeis drops to 7-11 overall and 1-6 in the University Athletic Association. 
"Honestly, our approach and mentality was the same as it was in the preceding two games," said women's head coach Carol Simon. "The key to the success we had in the Rochester game was that we made big shots and finished better."
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Guard Janelle Rodriguez '14 sparked a 9-0 Brandeis run at the outset of the first quarter, concluding the stretch with a resounding basket and a 16-7 lead. The Judges also forced two turnovers and nabbed three offensive rebounds, displaying versatility at both ends of the court in a strong first half. And given that both preceding losses had been largely down to the Judges' offensive woes, it seemed that draining baskets would prove enough for Brandeis to get its first win since Jan. 5.
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Enter the YellowJackets, a squad that has recorded a formidable average of 66.8 points per game. 
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Junior center Danielle McNabb tipped in a layup to give Rochester their first lead at 23-22, an advantage they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. Higginbottom and the Judges kept pace, especially after a tip-in layup from the senior forward with 3:11 remaining  to cut the deficit to one point. 
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Rochester initiated their high-powered offense once more to close the half, as junior guard Ally Zywicki and sophomore guard Breanna Madrazo combined for seven straight points. 
Guard Hannah Cain '14 led a second-half charge for the Judges, nailing a crucial three-pointer to pull within five points and a potential nail-biter. Guard Jackie Walker countered with a three-pointer of her own, and from there, Rochester's offensive display overwhelmed the Judges' defense. The YellowJackets led by as many as 17 points before eventually earning a 72-58 victory.
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Cain and Rodriguez, along with Dean, sparked the offensive resurgence for the Judges with 12 points apiece. Cain also made a statement on the defensive end, earning five steals and pulling down six rebounds. 
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The Judges greatly needed those 58 points, especially after a second consecutive sub-30 point performance in a 59-28 loss to No. 18 Emory University last Friday. 
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Rodriguez was in her element at the Woodruff PE Center, scoring a career-high 14 points on six-for-12 shooting. She even contributed on the defensive end with three steals. The Eagles could not seem to contain her hot hand.
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However, Rodriguez was the anomaly in a game defined by Emory's smothering defense. The Eagles limited the rest of the Judges to 14 points and just three field goals, cruising to a 30-point victory.
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Forward Samantha Anderson '13 led the squad with seven rebounds while Dean contributed two assists.
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Though the women were certainly crushed by the defeat, Simon sees room for improvement which could prove to be crucial with its last two UAA clashes of the regular season coming up.
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"We need to be able to play well at both ends of the court consistently for 40 minutes," she said. "For our games this weekend, I'll break down the films more in depth. This time we will have a much better idea of the adjustments that we need to make for our rematches this weekend."
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After a punishing four-game UAA road trip, the squad will return home with an invigorated offense against Emory this Friday at 6 p.m. The Judges will then welcome the YellowJackets for a rematch at Red Auerbach Arena this Sunday at 2 p.m.