WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University men's basketball team earned their first win of the season with a dominant offensive performance, shooting 52.1% from the field and converting 12 3-pointers to earn their 92-72 victory over Bridgewater State University on Saturday afternoon in Red Auerbach Arena.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis, 1-2.
- Bridgewater State, 2-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Judges jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first five points of the contest on a 3-pointer from first-year Javi Lopez (Lawrence, Mass./Central Catholic) followed by a lay-up by junior Harris Dar (Dallas, Texas/Parish Episcopal School).
- After Bridgewater State briefly began to close the gap, Lopez added another basket to help Brandeis maintain its advantage.
- The Bears took their only lead of the game at 10-9 after Antonio Richardson converted a pair of free throws and then another free throw less than a minute later, with 14:32 remaining in the first half.
- Brandeis responded with a strong offensive stretch, as sophomore Gur Dhillon (Frisco, Texas/Brewster Acad. (N.H.)) scored nine consecutive points for the Judges, including two consecutive 3-pointers, to put them back in front and increase their lead to 20-10.
- The Judges continued their offensive surge, including first-year Jakari Clark (Cape Cod, Mass./Lexington Christian Acad.) adding multiple lay-ups and Dhillon and junior Ryan Weiss (Hewlett, N.Y./North Broward Prep) both connecting on 3-pointers to bring the lead to 34-12 with 8:42 remaining in the first half.
- A 3-pointer by senior Ali Kaan Bek (Istanbul, Turkey/Koc School) with 4:14 remaining gave Brandeis its largest lead of the half, 49-18. The Judges went into halftime with a commanding 30-point advantage, 54-24.
- The Judges maintained their comfortable advantage throughout the second half. Bridgewater State attempted to chip away at the deficit, but Brandeis continued to find answers offensively with additional 3-pointers from Weiss and Dhillon, while Lopez and Clark added lay-ups to push the lead back to 24, 64-40.
- With just over seven minutes remaining, Clark assisted Weiss on a lay-up to make it 78-48, bringing the Judges' lead to 30 points once again. Despite a late 24-16 run by the Bears, the Judges' continued offensive production secured the 20-point victory, 92-72.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Five different Brandeis players scored in double figures. Weiss led the Judges with 19 points, shooting efficiently from the field and connecting on four 3-pointers. Clark and Dhillon each finished with 18 points, with Clark recording a double-double with 10 rebounds and Dhillon adding nine rebounds while going a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range.
- Lopez contributed 11 points, while Dar finished with 10 points and three assists. Clark also led the team with seven assists.
- Brandeis received a major contribution from its bench, outscoring Bridgewater State's reserves, 46-16. The Judges also held a 48-34 advantage in points in the paint and scored 21 points off turnovers compared to 15 for the Bears.
- The Judges also dominated the glass, outrebounding Bridgewater State, 48-31, including a 14-8 advantage in offensive rebounds.
- Brandeis shot 52.1% (37-71) from the field and 38.7% (12-31) from 3-point range while Bridgewater State finished at 38.8% (26-67) from the field and 17.4% (4-23) from beyond the arc.
- Bridgewater State was led by Richardson, who scored a game-high 26 points. Josh Campbell added 14 points, while Chiko Kalu finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
UP NEXT
The Judges will return to action on Friday, November 20, when they host Bowdoin College at 7 p.m.
