Capra's 23 rallies Brandeis women's hoops past Chicago, 60-56

WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University senior guard Jaime Capra (Old Bridge, N.J.) scored a game-high 23 points, 12 in the second half, to lead the Judges women's basketball team past the visiting University of Chicago Maroons, 60-54, in a University Athletic Association (UAA) contest in Red Auerbach Arena tonight.

Brandeis (11-4, 2-2 UAA) led for the entire first half, going up by as many as 15 points at 24-9 on a fast-break lay-up by sophomore guard Jessica Chapin (Mendon, N.Y.). Chicago got back within four at 31-27 on a Dana Kaplan (Commack, N.Y.) lay-up with 2:30 left, but the Judges ended on a 9-0 run to take a 40-27 lead into the break. Capra led all players with 11 points in the first while UC senior Nofi Mojidi (Silver Spring, Md.) had eight before the intermission.

Chicago (11-4, 2-2 UAA) opened the second half with a fine defensive effort, holding the Judges to just one field goal over the first 11 minutes. The Maroons took their first lead of the game on a 3-pointer by junior Alex Leach (Gurnee, Ill.) at the 8:54 mark, 46-43. A Brandeis free throw by sophomore Carmela Breslin (McKees Rocks, Pa.), followed by a Capra lay-up tied the contest at 46-46 with 7:13 left. The Judges owned a four-point lead on a Chapin free throw with 4:26 left, but UC sophomore Jaime Stinson (Topeka, Kans.) hit a trifecta to knot the game at 54-54 with 2:36 left. Brandeis was able to get defensive stops the rest of the way, as Capra hit two free throws and junior Amanda Wells (Loudon, N.H.) hit four-of-six to help ice the contest before a last-second hoop by Leach gave the final score.

Capra, who scored more than 20 points in a game for the third time this season, hit eight-of-15 from the field and seven-of-10 from the line. She was the only Brandeis player in double figures. Chapin led the Judges with eight rebounds, while sophomore guard Lauren Rashford (Whitesboro, N.Y.) had a game-high five assists. Both players were second on the Judges with seven points. Brandeis outscored UC, 24-18, in points off turnovers. With the win, Brandeis to0ok a 20-19 lead in the all-time series, having won seven in a row in the series and 12 of the last 13.

Mojidi led Chicago with 14 points on five-of-14 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers and two free throws, while Leach finished with 12 points. Sophomore Anna Woods (Bala Cynwyd, Pa.) came off the bench to lead all players with nine points. She also had five blocked shots.