WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University women's basketball senior Katherine Vaughan (Bedford, Mass./Bedford) scored a career-high 24 points to go with 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season as the Judges defeated visiting Clark University, 76-71, to continue their best start since the 2008-09 season.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 7-0.
• Clark, 7-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The game saw 10 lead changes and five ties, all in the first half.
• Brandeis took an 18-13 lead after one quarter, and that five-point lead proved to be the difference at the end of the game. The first 10 minutes saw six lead changes and four ties.
• Vaughan scored seven points in the first period, while junior Claire Candela (Maynard, Mass./Milton Academy) added six on a pair of 3-pointers. Brandeis hit 3-of-6 from deep and 7-of-8 from the line in the first.
• Clark's first two baskets of the second quarter were 3-pointers from Kailey Rios, giving the Cougars a 19-18 lead 93 seconds in the stanza.
• The lead changed hands on the next three possessions with sophomore Saviah Shabazz (Plano, Texas/Plano West Senior) dialing long distance to put Brandeis up, 23-22, at the 7:35 mark.
• Clark's Atiya Watson hit 1-of-2 from the line to tie things up, but Brandeis junior Sofia Berisha (Old Tappan, N.J./Winchendon School) scored a driving lay-up on the next possession that put the Judges ahead for good.
• Brandeis led by as many as seven points on a Shabazz trifecta with 39 seconds to go, but Rios answered and the Judges took a 40-36 lead into the locker room. Vaughan and Shabazz each had 11 points in the first half, while Rios netted 17 to lead all players.
• Brandeis took its largest lead of the game six minutes into the third quarter on a Jazzy Perez (Johns Creek, Ga./Centennial) 3-pointer that made it 52-41 in favor of the hosts as they held Clark to just five points over that span.
• Clark responded by closing the period on a 9-2 run to close back within four points thanks to six points from Leilani Benson, making it 54-50 with 10 minutes to go.
• Vaughan opened the final period with a traditional three-point play, followed by a bucket by senior Maya Williams (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union) that pushed the Brandeis lead back to nine less than two minutes into the period.
• Clark made one last push, closing within three points with 4:14 to go on a pair of Cyriah Coleman free throws that made it 64-61, but Vaughan answered with four in a row and the Judges were able to keep it at least a two-possession game the rest of the way.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Vaughan led all players with 24 points and 10 rebounds. She hit 6-of-7 from the field and 12-of-14 from the line, career-best free-throw totals.
• This was her second career 20-point game and her sixth collegiate double-double.
• Shabazz also netted a career scoring high with 18 points, 11 coming in the first half. She hit 4-of-10 from the field, 3-of-5 from 3-point range and 7-of-8 from the line. Shabazz also grabbed six rebounds.
• Berisha finished with eight points and a team-high five assists.
• Brandeis had a slight 41-40 rebounding edge over Clark, but the Judges' defense produced 10 blocked shots – three each by Vaughan and Williams – while forcing 13 turnovers.
• Clark had four players score in double figures paced by Rios's 22 points, 18 of which came on 6-of-10 from 3-point range. Watson added 16 points, while Coleman had 13 and team-highs with nine rebounds and five assists. Benson scored 11 points.
• The Judges' 7-0 start is their best since opening 10-0 in 2008-09, while the seven-game winning streak is the longest since 2019-20. They have not won eight in a row since that start in 2008-09.

UP NEXT

• The Judges will look to improve to 8-0 on Saturday afternoon with a road game at Tufts at 1 p.m.