WALTHAM, Mass., – The Brandeis University men's basketball team led at the break and battled throughout a tightly contested UAA matchup, but ultimately came up short in an 80–71 loss to conference rival #3 Emory University on Friday evening at the Gosman Athletic Center. With the loss, the Judges see a five-game winning streak come to an end.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 8-5, 1-1 UAA.
• Emory, 12-1, 2-0 UAA, ranked #3 in Division III by d3hoops.com

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Brandeis opened the game with early momentum, with 3-pointers from graduate student DJ Courtney (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus) and senior Elias Rodl (Berlin, Germany/ Schulund Leistungssportzentrum Berlin) to take a 6–4 lead in the opening minutes. 
• The Eagles responded with 2 successful free throws to tie it 6-6, but three 3-pointers in a row from Courtney, sophomore Alex Zakheim (Bergenfield, N.J./ Perkiomen, Pa.), and junior Ali Kaan Bek (Istanbul, Turkey/ Koc School) kept the Judges in front 15-6 with 15:25 on the clock.
• The Judges continued to build their advantage midway through the half, using strong shooting from Rodl, Zakheim, and Courtney to extend the lead to 26-16 with 8:03 on the clock.
• Emory answered with a brief run highlighted by a dunk from Jair Knight, but Brandeis countered with efficient scoring in the paint from graduate student Aedan Using (Old Lyme, Conn. Old Lyme), free throws by Zakheim, and another clutch trifecta by Rodl to maintain control.
• In the final minutes of the half, Emory cut into the deficit behind scoring from Ethan Fauss and Ben Pearce, trimming the margin to two, with the Judges leading 35–33 heading into the break.
• A 3-pointer and layup by the Eagles within the first minute of second-half play brought them into the lead 38-35 for the first time all game.
• The Judges quickly closed the gap with a basket by Zakheim and baskets by Rodl, first-year Gur Dhillon (Frisco, Texas/ Brewster Acad. (N.H.)), and graduate student Jai Deshpande (San Carlos, Calif. Sacred Heart Prep) keeping the Judges close behind. However, steady shots by the Eagles kept them ahead 48-45 through the first five minutes of the half.
• The turning point for the Judges came with back-to-back layups by Rodl and Dhillon to bring the Judges back into the lead. Free throws by Deshpande continued the 6-0 run, with the Judges ahead 51-48 with 13:17 on the clock.
• Emory fought back quickly to tie the score 51-51 and the game remained within two possessions as the teams traded baskets and the lead through the next five minutes.
• The Eagles pulled ahead 64-59 with a 5-2 run with 6:40 on the clock, but a 5-0 Brandeis run with a key three-pointer by Zakheim assisted by Using brought the Judges back in reach 71-68 with four minutes left. 
• Despite one last 3-pointer by Courtney assisted by Zakheim, consistent shots by the Eagles kept them ahead through the rest of the game, with a final score of 80-71.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Judges were led offensively by Zakheim with 19 points while adding four rebounds, two assists, and a team-high three steals.
• Courtney followed with a season-high 17 points, three assists, and a block, while Rodl added 16 points and tied for the team lead with seven rebounds. Dhillon contributed nine points and seven rebounds to round out the top scorers.
• Brandeis shot the ball well from beyond the arc, with 10 three-pointers and 43.5% shooting from long range, compared to Emory's 4-of-13 shooting from deep. The Judges also held a 17–7 advantage in bench points and scored 17 points off turnovers.
• Despite Brandeis leading for nearly 24 minutes and holding the advantage for more than half of the game, Emory controlled the interior, outscoring the Judges 50–22 in the paint and holding a 9–2 edge in second-chance points. Emory also finished with a slight rebounding advantage, 35–30, and capitalized on fast-break opportunities with 25 points.
• Emory's Ben Pearce led all players with 24 points, while Jair Knight had a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Both players tied for game-high honors with four assists.

UP NEXT

• The Judges finish off their home series on Sunday, Jan. 18, at 2 p.m., hosting University of Rochester in another UAA contest at the Gosman Athletic Center.