WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University men's basketball team saw sophomore Alex Zakheim (Bergenfield, N.J./Perkiomen, Pa.) and senior Elias Rodl (Berlin, Germany/Schulund Leistungssportzentrum Berlin) combine for 56 points, 22 rebounds and nine assists today to help the Judges secure an 87–70 victory over the University of Rochester in University Athletic Association play on Sunday afternoon at the Gosman Athletic Center. The win marked Brandeis' final game of its home series and extended the Judges' winning streak against Rochester to four consecutive games.

POST GAME INTERVIEW


TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 9-5, 2-1 UAA.
• Rochester, 7-7, 0-3 UAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Brandeis settled in after an early basket by Rochester, responding with consecutive layups from Zakheim and Rodl to take a 6–2 lead in the opening minutes.
• Midway through the half, the Judges began to stretch the lead with balanced scoring. A 3-pointer from graduate student Jai Deshpande (San Carlos, Calif. Sacred Heart Prep) and another from senior Enrique Perez (Miami, Fla./ Riviera Prep) gave the Judges momentum, while baskets from first-year Gur Dhillon (Frisco, Texas/ Brewster Acad., N.H.) and graduate student Aedan Using (Old Lyme, Conn./Old Lyme) helped extend the margin to 20–10 with just over nine minutes remaining. 
• The Yellowjackets mounted a steady push behind Justin Odibo, Tomiwa Adetosoye, and John Mayhew, using strong interior play and perimeter shooting to cut the deficit. A Mayhew 3-pointer tied the game at 30–30 with 4:32 left in the first half, capping a 20-10 run that erased Brandeis's early lead.
• The Judges responded down the stretch with offense from Rodl and Zakheim. Zakheim scored from all three levels, including a layup, jumper, and a 3-pointer, while Rodl knocked down two baskets, including a late 3-pointer, carrying the Judges into halftime with a 41–37 advantage as the two totalled 29 points in the stanza - 15 for Zaheim and 14 for Rodl.
• Brandeis opened the second half by building on its momentum, with a jumper from Using followed by a layup from Zakheim to extend the lead to 45–39. The Judges continued to score efficiently in the opening minutes, with more baskets from Zakheim and free-throws by Rodl.
• Rochester worked to stay within reach behind baskets from Theo Murray and Jordan Owusu, but Brandeis consistently answered. A 3-pointer from Zakheim, mid-range baskets from Rodl, and four free throws by Deshpande helped the Judges maintain control, holding a 60–50 advantage just past the halfway point of the period.
• The decisive stretch came midway through the half, when Brandeis strung together a strong run fueled by Rodl and Zakheim, as well as a 3-pointer by junior Ali Kaan Bek (Istanbul, Turkey/Koc School) to further stretch the margin to 79-62 with 1:54 left on the clock.
• The Judges put the game away with strong interior play and ball movement. Deshpande and graduate student JJ Hayes (Hilton Head, S.C./ Hilton Head Prep) each threw down dunks, and Perez calmly converted free throws to seal the result as they pulled away for an 87–70 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Judges were once again led offensively by Zakheim, who poured in a game-high 29 points - one shy of his career-best - while adding four assists and a career-high nine rebounds.
• Rodl followed with a strong all-around performance, posting 27 points, a career-high 14 rebounds, and a team-best five assists. 
• The double-double was Rodl's fourth of the season and fifth of his career.
• Deshpande chipped in 13 points and six rebounds, while Perez added five points off the bench.
• Brandeis shot efficiently on the offensive end, finishing at 50.0% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc, compared to Rochester's 33.3% shooting and 22.7% from three-point range. The Judges were also perfect from the free-throw line, converting all 12 attempts, and held a 17–5 edge in assists.
• Brandeis led for over 37 minutes of game time, and built a lead as large as 19 points, while also holding advantages in bench scoring (27–14) and fast-break points (15–11). Rochester kept pace at the line, shooting 90.5 percent on free throws, but Brandeis' balanced scoring and efficiency proved decisive in the 87–70 victory.
• The Yellowjackets got 19 points and seven rebounds from Adetosoye, while Owusu had 12 points and Odibo added 10. Opera led the visitors with eight rebounds. 
• The Judges' victory extends their winning streak against Rochester to four in a row, since Feb. 4th, 2024.

UP NEXT

• The Judges will head to #2-ranked University of Chicago for a UAA matchup Friday evening on Jan. 23, at 6:30 pm (5:30 CT).