WALTHAM, Mass. -- Brandeis graduate student Steve DeLuca (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) scored a season-high 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season as the Judges knocked off 14th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University, 69-57, in University Athletic Association action today. With the win, Brandeis improves to 7-5, 1-1 UAA, while CMU falls to 11-2, 2-1 UAA.
DeLuca had 17 points and six rebounds in the first half as the Judges jumped out to a 29-19 halftime lead. He connected on 8-off-11 from the floor in the first with a 3-pointer. In one stretch of 1:45 in the first, DeLuca scored nine straight Brandeis points as the Judges pushed an early 8-5 lead to a 17-9 margin. The Judges were ahead 29-19 at halftime and stayed at least seven points ahead of the Tartans for the rest of the contest. For the game, DeLuca was 11-for-16 shooting, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 4-of-4 from the line. Nine of his 10 rebounds were on the defensive end, and he also tied for game-high honors with two steals. His double-double was the ninth of his career.
Two other Brandeis players finished with double figures in scoring. Junior guard Kenny Small (Stratford, Conn./Stratford) had 13 points off the bench, while senior Kevin Olson (Rockport, Mass./Rockport) had 12 points, all in the second half. Olson connected on all three of his 3-point attempts. Small, junior forward Terrell Hollins (Springfield, Mass./Longmeadow) and rookie guard Tyrone Hughes (Dorchester, Mass./Taft School) tied for team-high honors with three assists. Brandeis connected on 54.4% from 3-point range (6-11) and 79.2% from the line (19-24) en route to the victory despite getting outrebounded for only the second time all season.
Carnegie Mellon put one player in double figures, senior forward Ryan Einwag (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin), who had 12 points, connecting on 4-of-9 from the field and all four free throws. Junior guard Jack Anderson (Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver Falls) and senior forward Terrence Bouldin-Johnson (Tukwila, Wash./O'Dea) both had nine points. Bouldin-Johnson tied with DeLuca for game-high honors with 10 boards, four on the offensive glass. Senior guard Elliot Curtis (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) led all players with four assists. The Tartans outrebounded Brandeis, 38-32, including 14-7 on the offensive end, leading to a 13-6 edge in second-chance points.