WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University men's basketball team cut a 19-point halftime deficit to three with just over two minutes left in the game, but the Judges couldn't quite get over the hump in a 75-69 loss at the hands of #24-ranked University of Chicago in University Athletic Association action today in Red Auerbach Arena.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 13-7, 4-5 UAA.
• Chicago, 15-5, 6-3 UAA, ranked #24 in Division III by D3hoops.com

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The visitors never trailed in this one. With the game tied at 5-all just over three minutes in, Chicago went on a 19-4 run over a span of 5:12 to take a 24-9 lead.
• The Maroons were paced by Daniel Cochran's seven points during the run, as they hit 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range while holding Brandeis to 2-of-7 and 0-of-3 in the same span.
• Chicago was able to balloon its lead to 19 points at the break thanks to a late layup by Thomas Kurwoski, giving him eight points in the first half, one behind Cochran's nine.
• After Brandeis shot just 30% from the field (9-30) in the first half, compared to Chicago's 56.3% (18-32), the Judges picked things up in the second.
• The Judges hit 9 of their first 11 shots with one 3-pointer, getting within 10 points at 57-47 on a lay-up by grad student Sam Adusei (Worcester, Mass./St. George's School) with 11:01 to go.
• Brandeis missed its first chance to get to within single digits, but Adusei went the length of the floor of a blocked shot by grad student Aedan Using (Old Lyme, Conn./Old Lyme) that made it 59-51 with 8:40 to go.
• Chicago was able to keep Brandeis at arms length for the next four minutes, but junior Elias Rodl (Berlin, Germany/Schulund Leistungssportzentrum Berlin) hit a pair of free throws with 4:35 left that got Brandeis within one possession at 62-59.
• Chicago was able to milk the clock on their next two possessions before Brandeis senior Toby Harris (Durham, N.C./Durham Acad.) hit a jumper with 2:16 on the clock that made it 64-61, Chicago.
• Out of a Brandeis timeout, Chicago's Kurowski converted a traditional three-point play with 1:58 remaining that doubled the Maroons' lead.
• A Brandeis turnover led to a Chicago bucket with just under 90 seconds left, giving the visitors an eight-point lead, 69-61.
• Rodl connected on a 3-pointer that got Brandeis back within five, and Harris forced a turnover with just over 30 seconds left giving the Judges a chance to get even closer.
• They were unable to convert on a good look by Harris from 3, and the Maroons closed things out from there.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Rodl finished with a game-high 21 points, 13 coming the second half. He hit 8-of-14 from the field, 2-of-6 from downtown and 3-of-4 from the line.
• Harris scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half, while Adusei had eight of his 10 points after the break.
• Using finished with a team-high eight rebounds and three blocked shots, while tying with Adusei and Rodl for team-high with three assists.
• Brandeis finished the game shooting 44.3% (27-61) after improving to 58.1% (18-31) in the second half. The Judges shot below 30 percent from 3-point range for just the third time all season, making just 6-of-28 (21.4%).
• Chicago had five players score in double digits, paced by Kurowski's 18 points and game-high seven assists.
• Cochran finished with a double-double of 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass.
• Noah Pit scored 10 points off the bench, while Eamonn Kenah and Joe Berry each scored 10 points.
• The Maroons won the battle of the glass, 41-27, while Brandeis had the turnover advantage, 16-8.

UP NEXT

• The Judges finish their road UAA slate next weekend, starting with a 5:30 p.m. tip at Rochester next Friday evening and concluding with a 2 p.m. game at #11 Emory on Sunday.