WALTHAM, Mass.- After rallying from a 10-point halftime deficit at Red Auerbach Arena, the Brandeis University women's basketball team were unable to overcome 32 points from senior guard Kaitlyn Bovee (Berlin, Conn./Berlin) and fell to the Roger Williams University Hawks, 65-53. The Judges move to 1-2 on the season while the Hawks improve to 2-0.
In the first half, poor shooting doomed Brandeis despite intense defense and hustle. The Judges forced 10 turnovers and after trailing 17-10 early, went on a quick 6-1 run to close it to a two point game with 9:42 remaining on a lay-up from senior center Angela Miller (Sicklerville, N.J./Timber Creek). RWU responded quickly and closed the period on a 15-7 spurt as they took advantage of cold shooting by Brandeis to open up a 33-23 advantage at the half.
In the second half, the Judges mounted their comeback scoring 13 of the first 14 points of the period to snatch a 36-34 lead with 13:51 to go. After trading leads and ties for more than six minutes, Miller gave Brandeis their final advantage of the game on a traditional three point play to put them up 45-43 with 7:54 left on the clock. From there, the Hawks reeled off seven consecutive points and took a lead that they wound not relinquish. The 65-53 final score does not fully reflect how close the game was as the final few minutes were quick fouls and RWU icing the contest from the charity stripe.
The Judges were led by senior guard Kasey Dean (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug) with 12 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field, while classmate forward Nicolina Vitale (Clinton Township, Mich./Chippewa Valley) chipped in 10. Sophomore guard Samantha Mancinelli (Durham, Conn./Coginchaug Regional) had a team-high eight rebounds and Miller came off the bench to nab seven boards and eight points. Vitale recorded a game-high three blocks while Dean led the squad with two assists.
The Hawks were led by Bovee who netted 32 points on 9-for-14 shooting including four 3-pointers and a 10-for-11 performance from the free throw line. Bovee also added a game-high 12 caroms to notch a double-double. She was joined in double-digit points by sophomore guard Angelica Ariola (Prospect, Conn./Holy Cross) who finished the game with 11. Senior guard Ari Renwick (Westwood, Mass./Fontbonne Acad.) led the team with four assists.
Brandeis continues their season on Saturday November 23rd with a 1:00 p.m. game against Tufts at Red Auerbach Arena. RWU has their home opener on Thursday November 21st at 7:00 p.m. versus Connecticut College.