The men’s basketball team lost to New York University in their final game of the regular season, solidifying their overall season record at 9-16. The team battled hard, fighting to stay alive against the top-three team, but ultimately fell 71-50. 

The Judges went into the game hoping to avenge their two-point loss against NYU in January. The Violets were able to pull away and win the game with two late layups from junior center Costis Gontikas.

This Saturday, the Violets picked up where they left off, shooting out of the box with a 9-2 lead after a mere six minutes of play. 

Yet the Judges were not deterred, sealing the first half with a cool 10-0 run to bring the Violet’s lead down to 11.

 Forward Jordan Cooper ’18 poured in five of the 10 points, while guard Tim Reale ’17 went the length of the court for two crucial layups. 

The Judges stat box reflected their bleak first-half play with the team shooting a disappointing 25 percent and going 2-for-11 from beyond the  three-point arc. 

The Violets capitalized on each of their foul calls, hitting an incredible 71 percent from the free-throw line and shooting an above-average 52 percent from the field. 

The Judges did not fare much better in the second half, allowing NYU to shoot a whopping 64 percent. 

The Judges tried to claw their way back into the game only to be met with a barrage of 3-pointers from the Violet’s squad. 

The Judges gave their maximum effort but were down by nearly 30 points at the three-minute mark. In the end, the Judges worked their way back to finish the game 71-50.

With only 38 percent shooting, the Judges lost their flare from the previous matchup in which they outshot NYU 50 percent to 42 percent. This proved to be the Judges’ downfall, allowing NYU to shoot an even 60 percent over the course of the game. 

The Judges were also outpaced in almost every category, ranging from rebounds to points in the paint. However, the Judges’ bench outscored that of NYU’s by a modest four points.

Brandeis had trouble finding open men, creating only nine assists versus NYU's 17. Furthermore, while NYU had over 15 turnovers, the Judges were inefficient, converting only a handful for a meager total of nine points off turnovers. 

The inside paint proved to be difficult to master, with the Judges allowing 34 of NYU's 71 points from within the paint. The Judges were also boxed-out in the paint, giving up 32 rebounds   and posting 20 rebounds themselves.  

Cooper led the team in points, contributing 15 to the Judges’ total of 50. He also led the team with six rebounds, while Reale and guard Carlin Haymon ’18 tied for two assists each. 

In the final collegiate game of his career, Colby Smith ’16 scored all four of his points in the second half, along with three rebounds and one assist during the game. 

Brandeis honored Smith before the game as the only senior on the Judges' squad. Smith concluded the season averaging five points per game and an almost equal 3.6 rebounds per contest. Smith’s off-court contributions heavily outweighed his on-court performances, helping mentor the Judges and lead the next wave of incoming firts-years to the team. 

The Judges finished last in the University Athletic Association Conference, tied with Carnegie Mellon University for a 3-11 conference record. They equaled their record from the 2014 to 2015 season, posting an overall record of 9-16 on the season. 

While Judges looked poised for improvement, they were unable to close out their season, losing their last seven conference games and going winless in the month of February. The Judges came within two points of Case University but were unable to secure a win. 

Ultimately, Emory University took the UAA crown with an 11-3 conference record and the deciding win over Rochester University.

The Judges will need to step up their game in the offseason in order to bolster their offensive play. One of the Judges’ fatal flaws throughout the regular season was consistency. If the Judges can find a way to create a more balanced and unified team, consistency will surely follow in time.