WALTHAM, Mass., – The Brandeis University men's basketball team controlled the flow for much of the contest and pulled away late to earn an 87–76 home victory over Keene State College on Wednesday afternoon, improving to 6–4 on the season while handing the Owls their sixth loss.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 6-4.
• Keene State, 4-6.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Owls had a strong start with two layups and a 3-pointer to put them up 7-0 within the first 2 minutes.
• However, the Judges pushed back with baskets from graduate student Aedan Using (Old Lyme, Conn. Old Lyme), first-year Gur Dhillon (Frisco, Texas/Brewster Acad, N.H.), and sophomore Alex Zakheim (Bergenfield, N.J./Perkiomen), as well as a three by senior Jake Bender (Scituate, R.I. St. George's School) assisted by graduate student DJ Courtney (Miami, Fla. Christopher Columbus) to tie the score 11-11 with 13:56 on the clock.
• Three 3-pointers in a row, two by senior Elias Rodl (Berlin, Germany Schulund Leistungssportzentrum Berlin) and one by junior Ali Kaan Bek (Istanbul, Turkey Koc School) with assists from Dhillon, Zakheim, and Using, brought the Judges ahead 20-13 with 9:24 on the clock.
• The Judges held on to their lead for the rest of the half until the Owls tied the score at 36-36 with 3 seconds left on the clock.
• The Judges and the Owls were back and forth with baskets through the start of the second half, tying the score 41-41 with 18:03 on the clock, however the Judges continued to stay in the lead through the first 6 minutes.
• A layup and a free throw by Keene State's Jordan Cooper brought the Owls ahead 51-50 with 13:18 on the clock.
• The Judges quickly rallied back, with a layup by Courtney, two free throws by Kaan Bek, and threes by Using and Zakheim, bringing them up 60-55 with 8:56 on the clock.
• Four consecutive baskets, including one free throw, by Zakheim brought the Judges into their biggest lead of the game so far, with a 67-57 score with 7:17 on the clock.
• The Owls continued to fight back, but consistent baskets by the Judges kept them ahead through the rest of the game, with a final score of 87-76.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Judges finished with five players scoring in double figures.
• Rohl led all scorers with 22 points while also posting a double-double with a game-high 10 rebounds.
• Zakheim added 17 points and chipped in three assists, while Using contributed 15 points and one block for the Judges.
• Courtney and Dhillon rounded out the double-figure scorers, each with 10 points.
• Brandeis shot efficiently from the perimeter, with 12 three-pointers, and was strong at the free-throw line, converting 13-of-16 attempts (81.3%). The Judges also protected the ball well, committing just six turnovers, which they turned into a 17–8 advantage in points off turnovers.
• Keene State controlled the glass, out rebounding Brandeis 44–32 and holding a 23–11 edge in second-chance points, but Brandeis still dominated game flow, leading for over 30 minutes and holding the advantage for 77.3% of the game, including a late push that produced their largest lead at the final buzzer.
• This was the Judges second ever appearance against Keene State and their second win, with an 84-77 score in their last matchup in 2011.

UP NEXT

• The Judges return in the new year on Monday, Jan. 5, at 5 p.m., hosting Lasell University at Gosman Sports Center.