PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Brandeis women's basketball team led for nearly 30 minutes of clock time, including by seven points early in the fourth quarter, but the host Rhode Island College Anchorwomen scored the game-winning bucket with 13 seconds left and held off the Judges, 61-60, in non-conference action tonight.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis, 1-2.
- Rhode Island College, 1-0.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Brandeis got off to a hot start, outscoring RIC, 15-8, in the opening period.
- The Judges hit seven of their first 10 shots in the period, with six different players scoring points. The Anchorwomen missed 10 of their 14 attempts with only two players scoring.
- RIC cut into the lead in the second, outshooting Brandeis 54% to 38%, and outscoring the Judges, 18-15, to close within four, 30-26, at the break.
- First-year Charlotte McDonough (Gansevoort, N.Y. / South Glens Falls) led Brandeis with nine first-half points, while senior Claire Candela (Maynard, Mass. / Milton Academy) had seven.
- Brandeis opened the second half with a 9-2 run, with senior Carlie Marrella (Ashland, Mass./Ashland) scoring the first six points of the streak and classmate Sofia Berisha (Old Tappan, N.J./Winchendon School) hitting a 3-pointer to cap the run at the 6:28 mark, giving Brandeis a 39-28 lead.
- The Judges would push the lead as large as 15 when junior Jazzy Perez (Johns Creek, Ga. / Centennial) dialed long distance with 3:53 to go in the third, making it 46-31.
- RIC started their comeback there, outscoring Brandeis 14-4 the rest of the way in the third to get within five at 50-45.
- Berisha and Marrella accounted for 13 of the team's 20 points in the stanza.
- After Candela opened the fourth quarter with a jumper to push the lead back to seven, 52-45, the home team scored seven of the next nine points.
- The Anchorwomen tied the game at 54-all on a put-back by Eva Monaghan with 3:49 remaining.
- Berisha answered with a pull-up jumper, but RIC's Nichole Ljujic hit a 3-pointer to put her team ahead for the first time since it was 8-6.
- After a couple of stops on each end, RIC's Jaizzy Santiago hit a bucket with just over a minute remaining to give her team a three-point lead, 59-56.
- Brandeis kept their heads, with sophomore Annabelle Kenny (Westminster, Colo. / Holy Family) scoring on a put-back with 42 seconds to go. Junior Saviah Shabazz (Plano, Tex. / Plano West Senior) made a steal on the next RIC possession and was fouled going the rim. She hit her two free throws with 28 seconds to go to put Brandeis on top, 60-59.
- The Judges forced a bad pass to get the ball back, but RIC got a tie-up to retake possession, and Ljuljic found Monahan with what proved to be the winning bucket with 13 seconds to go.
- Brandeis had a decent look at a go-ahead basket but couldn't get it to fall as the Anchorwomen survived for the win. RIC held Brandeis to 4-of-19 in the fourth quarter, while hitting 7-of-15, including two 3-pointers.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Perez led Brandeis in scoring off the bench with 13 points, tied for her career-best. It was her fourth career game scoring in double digits. Berisha netted 11.
- Candela had a near double-double with nine points and a career-high nine rebounds.
- Kenny and Shabazz each had three assists, with Shabazz also contributing four steals, one shy of her career-high.
- RIC's Monahan had 16 points to lead all players, while Santiago had 13. They both tied for team-high honors with seven rebounds, and Santiago also had five assists.
- RIC had a 20-14 edge in points off turnovers, helping offset Brandeis's 39-35 advantage on the board and 14-5 margin in second-chance points.
UP NEXT
- The Judges return home on Saturday to play Framingham State for a 1 p.m. start.
