ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Brandeis University men's basketball team built an early lead and withstood a late push to earn an 85-81 victory over #18 ranked Washington University in St. Louis on Sunday evening. Sophomore Alex Zakheim (Bergenfield, N.J./Perkiomen, Pa.) and senior Elias Rodl (Berlin, Germany/Schulund Leistungssportzentrum Berlin) powered the Judges offensively, combining for 48 points.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 10-6, 3-2 UAA.
• WashU, 11-5, 1-4 UAA, ranked #18 in Division III by d3hoops.com

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Brandeis and Washington University traded baskets in the opening minutes, with Zakheim and Rodl scoring early from inside. After the Bears briefly pulled ahead, Brandeis settled in offensively behind Zakheim and graduate student DJ Courtney (Miami, Fla./ Christopher Columbus), evening the score at 15-15 midway through the first half.
• The Judges began to find rhythm as the half progressed. Senior Enrique Perez (Miami, Fla./ Riviera Prep), first-year Landon Sullivan (Franklin, Tenn./ IMG Academy), and Rodl each knocked down a 3-pointer to give Brandeis the lead 28-24 with 7:54 left on the clock.
• Zakheim continued to attack the net, scoring at all three levels, including a late 3-pointer just before halftime to give Brandeis momentum heading into the break with a 43–38 advantage.
• Brandeis carried that energy into the second half, opening with offense from Rodl and graduate student Aedan Using (Old Lyme, Conn./ Old Lyme).
• Courtney hit another 3-pointer as the Judges pushed the lead to double digits. After two more 3-pointers by Courtney, Brandeis had built a 63-50 cushion with 14:23 left on the clock.
• Washington responded with a steady push, fueled by Theo Rocca, Josh Kim and Jake Davis, trimming the margin with a mix of free throws and layups.
• The Bears continued to chip away, with a 13-0 run, cutting the lead to four with 3 minutes left in the game. However, the Judges answered with a 3-pointer by Rodl and offense by Zakheim to stay in front, 83-75.
• The final minutes turned into a back-and-forth battle. WashU closed within two in the final minute, but Brandeis stayed composed at the line. Sophomore Ryan Weiss (Hewlett, N.Y./ North Broward Prep) calmly knocked down two free throws in the closing seconds, and the Judges held firm defensively to close out a tight 85-81 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Judges were led offensively by Zakheim, who finished with a game-high 27 points while also grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out five assists. 
• Rodl followed with 21 points and six rebounds, with the duo accounting for more than half of Brandeis' scoring.
• Courtney added 16 points including 4 3-pointers, while Using chipped in nine points to round out the successful offense.
• Washington University was led by Ryan Cohen with 16 points, while Josh Kim (14 points), Theo Rocca (12 points), and Yogi Oliff (11 points) also reached double figures, and Connor May led with a game-high 8 rebounds.
• Brandeis was highly efficient offensively, shooting 56.9 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three-point range (10-25), compared to 48.3 percent shooting by the Bears and 26.9 percent from beyond the arc (7-26). The Judges also converted 9 out of 11 free throws (81.8 percent), while WashU went 16-22 at the line.
• The Bears held a slight edge on the glass, outrebounding Brandeis 32-28, including a 10-5 advantage in offensive rebounds, which resulted in a 7-3 edge in second-chance points. WashU also outscored the Judges in the paint, 44-36, and received a significant lift from its bench with 37 points.
• Despite those margins, Brandeis controlled the flow of the game, leading for more than 29 minutes and building a lead as large as 19 points midway through the second half. The Judges limited mistakes with just 10 turnovers and strong offensive execution to hold off the nationally ranked Bears in an 85-81 victory.
• This is the Judges' first win on the road at WashU since 2016, when they won 69-66 against the Bears.

UP NEXT

• The Judges return home to Waltham on Friday evening, Jan. 30, at 5:30pm where they will face Carnegie Mellon University for another UAA matchup.