CHICAGO, Ill. – The Brandeis University men's basketball team saw a late comeback effort come up short in a 72–56 loss to No. 2 University of Chicago on Friday evening on the road, despite strong performances from senior Elias Rodl (Berlin, Germany/Schulund Leistungssportzentrum Berlin) and sophomore Alex Zakheim (Bergenfield, N.J./Perkiomen, Pa.).

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 9-6, 2-2 UAA.
• Chicago, 13-1, 4-0 UAA, ranked #2 in Division III by d3hoops.com

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Chicago came out sharp, scoring the game's first five points before the Judges settled in. Shane Regan and Daniel Cochran provided early offense for UChicago, while Brandeis answered behind drives from Zakheim and Rodl to keep pace in the opening minutes.
• The Maroons began to create separation midway through the first half, using perimeter shooting to build momentum. LJ Moore and Daniel Cochran hit 3-pointers that pushed UChicago ahead to a 14 point lead.
• The Judges fought behind with continued scoring from Rodl and Zakheim, including a Rodl trifecta and free throws by graduate student Jai Deshpande (San Carlos, Calif./ Sacred Heart Prep), but UChicago carried a 39–24 lead into halftime after a late 3-pointer from Moore.
• The Judges opened the second half with a continued energy, chipping away at the deficit as Zakheim attacked the basket consistently, while Rodl converted multiple free throws and mid-range baskets.
• A 3-pointer from graduate student DJ Courtney (Miami, Fla./ Christopher Columbus) and a three by first-year Landon Sullivan (Franklin, Tenn./ IMG Academy) further fueled the half, but UChicago continued to respond.
• Despite a strong closing stretch from Brandeis, UChicago closed the game on a decisive run to pull away for a 72–56 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Judges were paced offensively by Rodl, who led all Judges with 21 points while also pulling down a team-high nine rebounds.
• Zakheim followed with 15 points as the two accounted for more than a quarter of Brandeis' scoring.
• Courtney and sophomore Ryan Weiss (Hewlett, N.Y./North Broward Prep) each added five points.
• The Maroons were led by Joe Berry and Shane Regan with 13 points each, while Berry, Daniel Cochran, and Nick Roper each had 7 rebounds. 
• Offensively, Brandeis struggled to find consistency, shooting 35.2 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from three-point range (4-of-20). The Judges were efficient at the free-throw line, however, converting 14-of-18 attempts (77.8 percent), matching UChicago's percentage from the stripe.
• UChicago held a significant advantage on the glass, outrebounding Brandeis 42–27, including a 10–5 edge in offensive rebounds, which translated into a 10–8 advantage in second-chance points. The Maroons also finished with a 9–4 edge in three-point makes and shot 46.7 percent overall.
• Despite committing fewer turnovers (6–8) and holding an edge in fast-break points (9–4), Brandeis was unable to overcome the Maroons' control of the game. UChicago led for nearly the entire contest (39:25), building a lead as large as 22 points midway through the second half.
• The Judges received 10 points from the bench and finished with 24 points in the paint, while UChicago countered with 20 bench points and 30 points inside.

UP NEXT

• The Judges will meet a top-25 opponent for the third time in four games when they head to #18-ranked Washington University for a UAA matchup on Sunday evening, Jan. 23, at 5 pm (4 CT). The game has been pushed back two hours due to inclement weather in the forecast.