The men's basketball team this weekend lost by just 10 points in two different high-scoring University Athletic Association contests throughout the Midwest. On Friday, the team fell to No. 7 Washington University in St. Louis, 82-72, and on Sunday, they suffered the same fate in an 85-75 loss to the University of Chicago. With the defeats, the Judges fall to 8-6 on the season and 0-3 in UAA competition.

In Sunday's game versus Chicago, the men were unable to get anything going in the first half, and from there, the team was never able to make up the lost ground. Guard Ben Bartoldus '14 led the Judges with seven first-half points, and the bench, with 15 points, contributed just less than half of the scoring output in the first half. As a team, the Judges shot 13 for 26-50 percent from the field-in the first half but only attempted eight three-point shots.

The Maroons took a 21-20 lead midway through the first half and never looked back, holding the lead the rest of the way. They took a 39-31 lead into halftime, and despite a few small runs from the Judges, Chicago held on for the victory.

Guard Derek Retos '14 led the Judges with 12 points on four-for-nine shooting from beyond the three-point arc. Forwards Ishmael Kalilou '15 and Alex Stoyle '14, as well as guard Gabe Moton '14, all contributed double-digit scoring for Brandeis, most of which came in the second half.

Guard Robinson Vilmont '17, who added six points and three assists in 13 minutes off the bench, saw room for improvement on the defensive side of the ball for the Judges with the losses.

"It starts off with defense," he noted about the Judges. "We need to play together. Offensively we can score and we need to put more effort in on the defense."

The Maroons controlled the glass, out-rebounding the Judges 35-28 on the afternoon, including seven offensive rebounds in both halves. They also were more aggressive than the Judges, reaching the free throw line 22 more times than Brandeis' shooters did. They also connected on 11 more free throws than the Judges, sparking the 10-point victory.

On Friday, likewise, the Judges were unable to get things going early in the contest. Brandeis managed to take a 15-13 lead on a Moton layup with 10 minutes, 36 seconds left in the first half-their first lead of the day. From that point, though, WashU went on a 14-0 run over the next six minutes to grab a 27-15 lead over the Judges.

Brandeis was able to keep the lead within reach at the end of the first half, and after a 6-3 run over the final four minutes, the squad cut the deficit to 11 points.

Brandeis trailed 33-22 at the half, led by Moton's nine first-half points. Bears senior forward Chris Klimek led all scorers with 15 points on seven-for-13 shooting at the intermission. Moton added three steals to his team-high nine points, but also turned the ball over two times in the half.

Brandeis was successful on the offensive side in the second half, but yet, they were unable to stop the Bears' offense, third-best in UAA play. The Judges outscored WashU 50-49 in the half but it was not enough to overtake the hosts.

Moton led the way with 18 second-half points and a game-high 27 overall. However, no other member of the Judges was able to get into double-digits in the scoring column. Retos and guard Ruben Kanya '14 each came within one basket of double-digits, both contributing eight points.

The bench added 26 points as coach Brian Meehan continued to rely heavily on the reserves. Klimek finished with 25 points for the Bears on 10-for-18 shooting and five-for-10 from the line.

Vilmont stressed the importance of the Judges' bench to their overall success, and the strength it provides to the team.

Meehan has shown throughout the season a willingness to assign players to either the starting five or the bench depending on the game or situation.

"It's very important to have a strong bench, because it gives confidence to the team," Vilmont said. "When [members of the bench] get on the court it's normal for them to be there instead of coming off the bench cold."

The Judges were out-rebounded 37-30 and the Bears went to the line 35 times, some trends that the Judges need to reverse in order to make a run in the UAA.

Even with the pair of losses, Vilmont remarked that the Judges' ability to keep the games within striking-distance will help them moving forward.

"It gives everyone confidence, because now we know we can keep up with a top-10 team, he said. "It comes down to little things, turnovers and free throws, but these games show we can beat them."

Brandeis returns home to face the University of Rochester on Friday night at 8 p.m. for HOOPcoming and then host Emory University on Sunday for Alumni Family Basketball Day at 12 p.m.
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