WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University women's basketball team battled through ten ties and eight lead changes but could not hold off a late surge by #16 Washington University in St. Louis despite a record-setting performance from senior
Abby Kennedy (Half Moon Bay, Calif./Half Moon Bay), falling 67–59 on Sunday afternoon in University Athletic Association action.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis, 13-11, 3-10 UAA.
- Washington University, 18-6, 9-4 UAA, ranked #16
HOW IT HAPPENED
- WashU opened the contest with a 3-pointer, but the Judges responded quickly as Kennedy knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game at 3-3.
- The teams traded baskets throughout the first quarter, with seniors Katherine Vaughan (Bedford, Mass./Bedford) and Brooke Reed (Chantilly, Va./Westfield) attacking inside and Kennedy adding another three to help Brandeis narrow WashU's lead to 20-19 through the end of the first quarter.
- Despite a key 3-pointer by sophomore Jazzy Perez (Johns Creek, Ga./ Centennial) for the Judges early in the second quarter, the Bears soon found their rhythm from beyond the arc as well, with a 3-pointer to build a 31-24 advantage midway through the period.
- Junior Sofia Berisha (Old Tappan, N.J./Winchendon School) and Reed answered with key baskets in the paint, and a free throw from sophomore Saviah Shabazz (Plano, Tex./Plano West Senior) tied the game at 31-31 before WashU closed the half with another 3-pointer by Alyssa Hughes to put them ahead 34-31.
- Brandeis surged out of the break in the third quarter. A pair of 3-pointers from senior Maya Williams (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union) and Kennedy and two free throws from Reed put the Judges in front, 43-37, their largest lead of the period.
- The Judges carried a 48-44 edge into the fourth after holding the Bears to just 10 points in the third.
- The final period featured three lead changes. Brandeis built its largest advantage of the game, 53-46, with 7:09 remaining after an Elena Delicado (Madrid, Spain/IES Parque de Lisboa)layup and steady work at the line.
- WashU answered with an 8-0 run reclaim a 54-53 on a three-point play by Ava Blagojevich.
- A layup by Vaughan put the Judges into the lead once again at 57-55 with 3:46 to go.
- Brandeis got a stop on their next possession, but couldn't take advantage, and the Bears' pulled ahead for good after consecutive buckets by Lexy Harris with 2:18 left that were part of a 10-2 run to end the game.
- A Delicado layup trimmed the deficit to 62-59 with 1:17 to play, but the Bears sealed the game at the free-throw line, converting five straight in the final minute to secure the 67-59 victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Kennedy led the Judges with 13 points, including three 3-pointers, setting Brandeis's single-season record with 51. She surpassed the 50 trifectas hit by Camila Casanueva '22 in 2022.
- Vaughan added 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Reed recorded a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 11 boards. Delicado contributed eight points as well as 10 rebounds.
- Lexy Harris led WashU with 22 points, while Alyssa Hughes added 21, connecting on seven 3-pointers.
- As a team, Brandeis shot 34.4 percent from the field (21-61) and 31.3 percent from three-point range (5-16), while holding a 40-33 edge on the glass, including 17 offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points. The Judges also forced seven steals.
- However, WashU led for 21:26 of the contest and finished with a 22-26 advantage in points in the paint. The Bears shot 42.1 percent from beyond the arc (8-19) and converted 19-of-26 free throws, including five in the final minute to close out the game.
SENIOR DAY
- Prior to the contest, the Judges honored their five seniors and one graduate student playing in their final games at Red Auerbach Arena.
UP NEXT
- Brandeis concludes the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m., traveling to New York City to face top-ranked NYU in the last UAA matchup.
