SALEM, Mass. – The Brandeis University women's basketball team had a terrific night from 3-point range and on the boards as the Judges defeated Salem State University, 88-72 on the road this evening.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis: 3-6.
• Salem State: 5-4.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first quarter was close, featuring three ties and four lead changes. The Vikings owned an 18-16 lead at the end of the period thanks to a 9-0 advantage in points off turnovers and 9-2 in second-chance points.
• SSU scored the first four points of the second period to take a 22-16 lead on a Nicollette D'Itria lay-up two minutes into the stanza.
• The Judges reclaimed the lead when graduate student Francesca Marchese (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island Academy) scored six unanswered points with a 3-pointer, a free throw and a fast-break lay-up that put Brandeis ahead, 24-22, with 5:56 left in the first half.
• Salem State answered with  back-to-back hoops from Kylie Gates, but Brandeis hit from downtown on three consecutive possessions. After SSU answered the first of those three trifectas to take their last lead of the game, sophomore Molly James (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) dialed long distance, sparking an 11-1 run to close the half with a 41-31 lead.
• The Judges extended their lead as large as 20 points in the third quarter, highlighted by three 3-pointers from junior Mollie Obar (North Yarmouth, Maine/Greely), as they went up 67-49 headed into the final stanza. The advantage grew as large as 22 before the Vikings closed within the final 16-point margin of victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Judges won thanks to their 3-point shooting and rebounding.
• With 15 trifectas as a team, they finished one shy of a school-record, set in 2021 against Clark.
• Their 68 rebounds were the most in a game by a Brandeis team since at least 2004. Brandeis outrebounded SSU, 68-50, including 26 offensive rebounds, while the Vikings had just 28 boards on Brandeis misses.
• Individually, Obar led the scoring charge with 20 points, a career-best, in just 20 minutes of action. She finished one shy of tying the school record with six 3-pointers, hitting 6-of-12 from beyond the arc and 7-of-14 overall. Obar also contributed six rebounds.
• Also reaching double digits in scoring for the Judges were Marchese, who finished with a season-high 15 points, and junior Lulu Ohm (Waltham, Mass./Waltham), who had 13.
• Marchese hit four 3-pointers, giving her 147 for her career, while Ohm hit two trifectas. James and first-years Carlie Marrella (Ashland, Mass./Ashland) and Claire Candela (Maynard, Mass./Milton Acad.) each had one.
• On the glass, it was James who was the star, grabbing a team-high 14 boards, including seven on the offensive glass. Classmate Katherine Vaughan (Bedford, Mass./Bedford) had 10 caroms, four offensive.
• Sophomore Lillie Singleton (Topsham, Maine/Cheverus) led all players with a career-best five assists.
• The Judges saw all 13 active players score points and 12 of the 13 grab at least one rebound. They were able to take advantage of Salem State's lack of depth, as the Vikings had just eight minutes from two bench players.
• Abuk Teng and Ernidia Goncalves each scored 17 points for the hosts, while Goncalves and D'Itria each had 14 rebounds to match James. Nine of Goncalves' boards came on the offensive boards.
• D'Itria led the hosts with four assists.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis will close out the fall semester on Thursday evening with a home game against Bridgewater State at 5:30 p.m.