Brandeis University

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University women's basketball team fell to a monster individual performance and a late 3-pointer by visiting Husson University as the Judges dropped a 69-66 decision in overtime against the Eagles in the championship game of the Brandeis Invitational presented by the Park Lodge Hotel Group.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis: 1-1.
• Husson: 2-0.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Judges got off to a fast start, outscoring Husson, 19-8, in the first quarter, but the Eagles climbed within four points at 28-24 by halftime.
• Brandeis extended their lead to even after a late 3-pointer by first-year Aubrey Kramer (Ballston Spa, N.Y. / Ballston Spa) made it 47-40.
• Husson's Addison Cyr scored her team's first six points of the fourth quarter as the visitors cut the lead to 49-46 with 8:27 left in regulation.
• Brandeis kept Husson at bay, taking a 55-51 lead on a pair of Saviah Shabazz (Plano, Tex. / Plano West Senior) free throws with 4:33 on the clock.
• Those would be the last points Brandeis would score in regulation, as Husson tied the game at 55-all on an Avery Clark jumper with 2:34 left.
• The teams traded empty possessions the rest of the way, forcing overtime.
• Brandeis opened the extra session with two Sofia Berisha (Old Tappan, N.J. / Winchendon School) free throws, but Cyr converted a three-point play to give the Eagles their first lead of the game, 58-57.
• Shabazz answered with a driving lay-up and Berisha hit 1-of-2 from the line to put the Judges back up, 60-58.
• A Sophia Carnes jumper tied the game at 60, but Shabazz answered with a trifecta with just under three minutes left to make it a 63-60 lead for Brandeis.
• Another Cyr hoop cut the deficit to one, and Saige Evans put the visitors back on top with two free throws and 1:12 left in the game.
• Berisha hit a second-chance bucket, followed by two Cyr free throws with 28 seconds to go, giving Husson a 66-65 lead.
• Brandeis senior Claire Candela (Maynard, Mass. / Milton Academy) hit one of two with 17 seconds remaining to knot things at 66-all, setting up the game-winning bucket.
• After a Husson timeout to advance the ball to the front court, the Eagles worked the ball inside out as Cyr found Lilly Roy open on the left elbow, and she nailed a 3-pointer with 5.5 seconds to go.
• Shabazz had a decent look to send the game to a second overtime, but hit front iron and couldn't get a favorable roll as the visitors escaped.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Judges fell to a remarkable performance by Cyr in her second collegiate game. She scored a game-high 37 points and grabbed 22 rebounds – 10 on the offensive glass. Cyr was 16-24 from the field and 5-of-5 from the line.
• Cyr accounted for 54 percent of her teams scoring and 47 percent of their rebounding.
• Cyr's game overshadowed a career-high 23 points from Shabazz, who also tied her career-best with eight rebounds. She was 7-for-17 overall, 4-for-7 from deep, and 5-of-6 from the line.
• Berisha added 16 points and eight rebounds of her own. She also had two blocked shots and tied with Candela with team-high three assists.