WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University women's basketball team played the top-ranked New York University Violets as closely as any team has this season, holding NYU to their lowest point total and smallest margin of victory of the season in a 79-49 loss in the University Athletic Association opener for both teams.

TEAM RECORDS

• NYU, 12-0, 1-0 UAA, ranked #1 in Division III by D3hoops.com and the WBCA.
• Brandeis, 10-2, 0-1 UAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The visitors showed why they haven't lost a game in three years with a 27-11 first period.
• The Violets outshot Brandeis, 50% (10-20) to 21.4% (3-14) and forced seven turnovers while committing just three of their own. Olivia Lagao (8 points) and Caroline Peper (6 points) each hit two 3-pointers in the first to pace NYU.
• The Judges held their own in the second quarter, winning the period, 18-17, marking the first quarter lost by NYU this season.
• Brandeis hit 42.1% from the field (8-19) and limited NYU to 41.2% (7-17), while turning the tables in the turnover battle, forcing six and committing just three.
• The Judges outscored NYU, 7-0, points off turnovers in the second and 12-4 in points in the paint.
• Brandeis had a balanced attack, with seven different players scoring field goals and only sophomore Jazzy Perez (Johns Creek, Ga./Centennial) tallying twice for four points. That contrasted with NYU, whose 17 points came from just three players – 10 by Peper, eight by Brooke Batchelor and two from Aila Kaibara.
• The Violets responded to the Judges' excellent play with a hot start to the second half, scoring the first 14 points of the third and holding Brandeis scoreless over the first five minutes.
• Peper hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the streak and hit five trifectas overall in the third to finish with 15 points in the period and 31 for the game as NYU led 67-39 headed into the fourth.
• Peper hit two more 3-pointers in the fourth, finishing with a Violet-record 11 and with 37 points for the game, but Brandeis held stout, as they dropped the last quarter, 12-10, and kept NYU under 80 points for the first time this season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• While NYU was led by Peper's 37-point outburst – four shy of her own school record – and 11 3-pointers, the Judges had five different players score between six and 10 points.
• Senior Brooke Reed (Chantilly, Va./Westfield) led the Judges in scoring with 10 points off the bench, going 5-for-5 from the floor. She also had five rebounds.
• Junior Sophia Berisha (Old Tappan, N.J./Winchendon School) added nine points, sophomore Saviah Shabazz (Plano, Texas/Plano West Senior) had seven.
• Graduate student Elena Delicado (Madrid, Spain/IES Parque de Lisboa) had six rebounds as the Judges were with 47-40 of NYU.
• Berisha and junior Claire Candela (Maynard, Mass./Milton Acad.) each had three assists.
• In addition to Peper, Brooke Batchelor had 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Kaibara led all players with six assists, as the Violets had 21 helpers on their 30 baskets.
• NYU, the two-time defending NCAA Division III champions, carried a 73-game winning streak into the game. With their win, they broke a tie with Division II Ashland University for the fourth-longest streak in Division III history. Next up is the Division III record held by conference-mates Washington University, of 81 in a row.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis will take on #9-ranked Emory next Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. in another UAA contest.