HOOPcoming weekend proved to be a rousing success for the women's basketball team. The Judges scored back-to-back victories on their home court in Red Auerbach Arena, defeating the No. 7 Emory University 65-61 on Alumni Family Day on Sunday and the University of Rochester 58-57 on Friday night.

Sunday's victory did not come easily. The Judges had to fight through a 58-48 second-half deficit and hit several clutch shots at the end of the game to come away with the 65-61 win.

Guards Samantha Mancinelli '16 and Kasey Dean '14 hit two huge shots down the stretch to ice the win for the Judges. Brandeis improved to 2-3 in University Athletic Association play and 8-8 overall while handing Emory their second loss all season.

Dean, the team's captain, never doubted the team's ability to overcome both the halftime deficit and a strong team.

"Honestly, I don't even think most of us really saw it as a comeback because even when we were behind it never felt like we lost control of the game," she explained. "Everyone just believed we could do it and chipped away one possession at a time."

The game against Emory took place on Alumni Family Day, as the host Judges took the opportunity to show their fans both their drive and perseverance in the win.

Emory senior guard Selena Castillo dominated the offensive tempo of the game early on, ending up with 20 points on the night.

From there, though, Brandeis adeptly contained the spread offense of the seventh-ranked team in the nation. The Judges ended the game on a 17-3 run while Emory could not manage to make a field goal, missing 13 of their last 14 attempts.
The comeback was sparked by guard Paris Hodges '17 on a tough jump shot with seven minutes, 25 seconds left to play. Emory then responded with their last field goal of the game. From there, the Eagles could not connect on a shot and committed several crucial turnovers that led to a string of successful offensive possessions. The combination of Hodges and her fellow rookie, forward Maria Jackson '17, led to an equalizing basket with 1:52 left in the game, a mark that had not been reached since the start of the game.

Emory senior guard Savannah Morgan managed to grab an offensive rebound at a crucial late juncture of the game, but the Eagles could not capitalize. Dean made them pay on the next offensive possession, giving the Judges their first lead in the game since early in the first half. Castillo could then only make one of two free throws for the Eagles. Brandeis proceeded to get the ball to Mancinelli, who hit a three-point shot with two seconds remaining on the shot clock and about eight seconds left on the game clock.

This had been the second game in which Brandeis had four players score in double figures. Dean and Jackson led the charge with 19 and 14 points, respectively. Hodges added eight points and six assists as well to help lead the Judges to victory.

Dean saw a real improvement in the team over the course of the year, including in the Emory victory.

"I think over the past couple years each team has gotten better and better. There is a lot of talent and they have stepped up in some big games, so they will also have experience and confidence next year," she said.

The Judges had momentum for the contest against Emory after a gritty win against the Rochester Yellowjackets just two days prior.

It was Brandeis' first UAA win of the season and it could not have come at a better time.

In a game very similar to their second of the weekend, Brandeis scraped by the Yellowjackets with a 58-57 victory on Friday.

However, this game was much more tumultuous in nature, featuring seven ties and five lead changes.

The Judges had to stave off a late buzzer-beating attempt by Rochester senior forward Danielle McNabb, the Yellowjackets' leading scorer with 18 points over the course of the game. This time, it was forward Nicolina Vitale '14 and guard Janelle Rodriguez '14 who made clutch shots late in the game to extend Brandeis's lead and put the Judges in a position to hold on to a lead.

Guard Frankie Pinto '17 provided strength from the bench, shooting four-of-six from the field with one three pointer made and nine critical points that the starters had struggled to find. Mancinelli added six rebounds of her own. While the Judges were outrebounded significantly in the first half, they bounced back to close the gap a bit in the second.

The Judges will continue their UAA play with away games at Case Western Reserve University and Carnegie Mellon University over the weekend before returning home for a four-game home stand.

Dean is confident in the Judges' ability to play well on the road.

"Traveling can be very hard sometimes, but it isn't an issue with our team," she said.

"We will prepare mentally and physically the same as we always do, but we definitely have some extra motivation after this weekend."