MEDFORD, Mass. (taken from a Tufts press release) -- The Brandeis women's basketball team scored the first bucket of the game, but the rest of the contest was all Tufts as the 17th-ranked Jumbos took leads of 17-3, 29-4, and 34-6 in the first half on its way to an eventual 70-32 victory in the Jumbos' home opener at Cousens Gym on Sunday afternoon.
Brandeis was led by senior Angela Miller (Sicklerville, N.J./Timber Creek) tallied a career-high seven points to pace the Judges (2-2). Co-captains Bre Dufault (Hampden, MA) and Kate Barnosky (Huntington Station, NY) both scored 15 points to lead Tufts, which improved to 4-0.
Brandeis shot just 22.7 percent (5-if-22) in the first half and the Jumbos were soon in command. After the Judges scored the first basket of the game by sophomore Hannah Cain (Gloucester, Mass./Gloucester), Tufts initiated a 17-1 run that gave them a 14-point lead (17-3) less than eight minutes into the game.
Miller had a free throw for Brandeis at 12:12, then Tufts scored the next 12 points to take a 25-point, 29-4 advantage on a layup by sophomore Hayley Kanner (Scarsdale, NY) with 6:07 on the clock. Their first-half lead got as high as 28 points, 34-6, on a three-point play by Dufault at 3:44.
Tufts led 34-12 at intermission. Dufault had nine points with five steals at the break, while Foley added seven points for Tufts. Miller and senior Courtney Ness (Norwich, Vt./Hanover, N.H.) each had three points for Brandeis at the break.
With little to be determined in the second half, Brandeis was as close as 23 points (38-15) on a three-pointer by Cain at the 18:34 mark. The Jumbo lead reached 30 after a three-pointer by Barnosky made it 46-15 with 15:35 remaining. The margin didn't dip below 30 and peaked at 38 on several occasions, including the final score.
Brandeis won the battle of the boards 32-26, with six rebounds by senior Samantha Anderson (Johnsonville, N.Y./Hoosac Valley) leading the way. Cain finished with five points and four rebounds, while Ness added two blocked shots. The Judges finished at 34.1 percent shooting (14-of-41).
The Judges return to action on Tuesday evening at 7:30 at home against Emmanuel College.