BABSON PARK, Mass. – The Brandeis University men's basketball team came from 10 points down with five minutes to play to force overtime, but the Judges were edged in the extra session by the host Babson College Beavers who took an 86-82 win in the season opener for both teams.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 0-1.
• Babson, 1-0.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Judges led by as many as nine points just over eight minutes into the contest when senior Elias Rodl (Berlin, Germany/Schulund Leistungssportzentrum Berlin) hit a trio of free throws to make it 15-6.
• Babson rallied, tying things up on a 3-pointer with 4:33 left in the half that sparked a 7-0 run and put the Beavers ahead, 30-26 with 2:40 remaining.
• Brandeis closed the half on an 11-2 run, scoring seven points in the final minute, including a 3-pointer, steal and assist by sophomore Alex Zakheim (Bergenfield, N.J./Perkiomen) in the final 15 seconds that gave the visitors a 37-32 lead at the break.
• Rodl and Babson's Timmy O'Toole tied for game-high honors with 15 first-half points each.
• The home team came out fast in the second half, opening on a 15-6 run over the first five minutes to take a 48-43 win on a bucket by Tyler Laudner.
• Brandeis was still within three points when senior Matthew Cadogan (Weston, Fla. St./Thomas Aquinas) converted a three-point play just over the midway point of the period, making it 61-58, Babson.
• The Beavers answered with a 9-1 run to take their first double-digit lead, 70-60, on Thomas Fernando's trifecta with 6:54 on the clock.
• The lead was still at seven points, 75-68, on a pair of Babson foul shots with just over two minutes to go in regulation when the Judges started their comeback in earnest.
• Zakheim answered from the charity stripe to close the deficit to five. After a steal by junior transfer JJ Hayes (Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head Prep), Zakheim connected from downtown to make it a two-point game with 1:29 left.
• Babson came up empty on its next possession despite an offensive rebound, and Cadogan answered on an inbounds play on the ensuing possession, tying the game at 75-all with 36 seconds left.
• The Beavers called timeout, but could not convert on their next possession, as Hayes came up with another steal, but Rodl's attempt to drive for a game-winner was stripped in the lane.
• In overtime, O'Toole opened the scoring with a dunk off an offensive rebound, while Rodl tied things up with a pair from the line.
• Brandeis got a stop, and Cadogan hit 1-of-2 from the line to give Brandeis a 78-77 edge.
• O'Toole answered with a jumper with 2:44 left that gave the Beavers the lead for good, 79-78.
• O'Toole blocked a Brandeis lay-up on the next possession, and on the next possession, the Beavers got two offensive rebounds, allowing them to run more than a minute off the clock despite not scoring.
• Brandeis missed a 3-pointer for the lead, and Mulvey connected on one from the other end, making a two-possession game with 40 seconds left as the Beavers hung on for the four-point win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Rodl led the Judges in scoring with 21 points, including five of the team's seven points in OT. He hit 5-of-16 overall, 1-of-5 from 3-point range, and 10-of-13 from the line.
• Zakheim added a career-high 20 points, 13 coming in the second half. He also led the team with five rebounds,  a career-high tying five assists and six steals on the defensive end.
• Cadogan added 14 points and graduate student Jai Deshpande (San Carlos, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) netted 10.
• Babson's O'Toole was the game-high scorer with 26 points, along with a game-high 17 rebounds.
• O'Toole helped the Beavers own a 52-29 edge on the boards, including 19-6 on the offensive glass.
• Thomas Ferdinando finished with 14 points, while Mulvey and Timmy Fiore each had 11.
• Lauder had 11 rebounds and a team-high six assists.
• Brandeis outscored Babson from the free throw line, 31-13, but the Beavers made 11 3-pointers to just three for the Judges.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis will continue a five-game road trip to start the season on Wednesday, November 12, at Western New England University at 7 p.m.