Guard Niki Laskaris '16 put up a desperation three-pointer with one second left against Smith College on Saturday, looking to will her team forward on an unlikely run to the finals of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Judges, in their matchup with the third-seeded Smith Pioneers, nearly overcame a 10-point deficit in the second half to make that a reality. Brandeis-seeded eighth in the postseason tournament-upset top-seed Emmanuel College 64-55 on Wednesday night in the quarterfinals to get to that point.

However, Laskaris' shot with one second left in the game bounced off the front of the rim and Smith escaped with a 64-61 victory in the semifinal matchup, sending Brandeis packing in their first postseason appearance since the 2008 to 2009 season.

Despite receiving double-digit scoring efforts from four of their five starters, Brandeis failed to complete a comeback against the Pioneers.

Both teams failed to establish a lead in the early going, trading baskets over the first five minutes, 31 seconds and playing to a 13-13 tie. Smith then finished the half on a 20-13 run to take a 37-30 lead into the halftime break.

Brandeis kept the game close down the stretch of the first half with a balanced scoring attack. Guard Kasey Dean '14 contributed seven of her game-high 15 points in the opening half, while forward Maria Jackson '17 and guard Janelle Rodriguez '14 added six and five points, respectively, in the half. Center Nicolina Vitale '14 contributed four points and three defensive rebounds while guard Paris Hodges '17 scored four points and pulled down a pair of rebounds, including a bucket with 3:05 remaining in the half to cut the deficit to 31-28.

The Judges, though, stormed out of the gate in the second half, registering the first five points of the half and holding their opponents scoreless for nearly four minutes. Smith responded to Brandeis' run with a well-timed three-pointer, pushing their lead to 44-39 with 15:22 to play in the contest.

With a 56-44 deficit to overcome, Rodriguez took over for Brandeis. She scored eight of her 13 points over the final 5:02, a time period through which Smith only managed six points as a team. Vitale put up a layup that pulled the Judges to within a 62-61 deficit with just 1:04 left. The teams then traded defensive stops before Dean committed a strategic foul to stop the clock and allowed Smith to push its lead to three with just four seconds left.

Coach Carol Simon called a team time-out following the free throws and inserted Laskaris to attempt the last-second shot. Laskaris shot 40.4 percent from three-point range, the second best percentage on team.

When Laskaris' shot bounced off the rim, the Judges' postseason bid came to a screeching halt after a promising start on Wednesday.

The Judges, squaring off against the top-seeded Emmanuel College Saints, used a standout defensive effort and strong post play from Vitale to overcome foul trouble and advance out of the quarterfinal matchup.

While the Judges had previously defeated Emmanuel on the road in an 80-72 victory on Nov. 26, the team, according to Simon, did not change its approach in facing the Saints a second time.

"I think the biggest difference is that we handled the pressure a lot better," she said.

"[In] the first game we had 34 turnovers ... and [tonight] it was just a matter of finishing in the post."

The Judges scored 30 points in the paint, including all 12 of Vitale's team-high points.

Vitale found the lane open throughout the game, allowing Brandeis to build a lead it would not relinquish.

Vitale finished with a double-double, adding 14 rebounds to her dozen points. Dean added eight points, nine assists and six rebounds for the Judges, while center Angela Miller '14 contributed six points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocks in just 14 minutes off the bench.

Miller added a layup with 12:54 left to give the Judges a 39-38 lead and sparked a 6-0 run over the next two minutes to push the team's lead to 57-44. Brandeis, following a seven-point outburst by the Saints, closed out the victory with a layup from Vitale and a handful of free throws from Dean.

"I think it was just more that we wanted the game," said Miller. "Coach always talks about composure and once we all relaxed foul trouble wasn't a thing."

Simon pointed to the team's improved pace and ability to drive to the basket as key factors in the victory.

"[In] the second half ... our pace was better, we were getting some easy baskets inside so I think it built our confidence," she said.

With a 14-12 finish, the team ended its 2013 to 2014 season with its first winning record since the team finished 16-8 in the 2009 to 2010 season.
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