Women's hoops drops shootout with Western Conn, 104-95

WALTHAM, Mass. – In a high-scoring affair, the Brandeis women's basketball team suffered a 104-95 defeat against Western Connecticut State University in the championship game of the Brandeis Tip-Off Tournament, presented by the Park Lodge Hotel Group. The Judges fall to 1-1 on the season, while the Colonials improve to 3-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• WCSU took a 22-18 lead after one quarter, but the Judges hit 11-of-17 from the field in the second to take a 45-41 lead at the half.
• The Colonials turned the tables in the third quarter, as they outscored Brandeis 27-19, the same margin by which the Judges had won the second.
• Brandeis led, 64-62, with 1:15 left in the third period, but Western Conn. caught fire at that point, hitting two 3-pointers to close the stanza, and two more to open the fourth to extend their lead to 74-64 with just 17 seconds elapsed.
• After the visitors hit two more quick 3-pointers just over two minutes into the fourth, they extended their lead to the largest of the game at 17 points at 85-68 with 7:29 on the clock. WCSU's full-court pressure kept the Judges at bay the rest of the way.
• The Colonials' style of play was the main factor in the game, forcing 35 Brandeis turnovers and converting them into 49 points. The visitors also took 60 3-pointers, converting 19 of them (31.7%).
• The Judges were able to dominate the boards with a 63-35 rebounding advantage.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Ten players combined reached double figures in scoring, five on each side.
• Brandeis rookie forward Shannon Smally (Foxborough, Mass. / Foxborough) tied for game-high honors with 21 points, hitting 8-of-13 from the floor. She also pulled down 12 rebounds, six on the offensive glass, to lead all players. It is her first collegiate double-double.
• Sophomore guard Camila Casanueva (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos) had 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in 35 minutes of action.
• Senior Sarah Jaromin (E. Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) came up just short of a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds, while also dishing a game- and career-high seven assists.
• Sophomore Jillian Petrie (Malrborough, Mass./Marlborough) finished with 12 points and junior Amber Graves (La Cañada, Calif. / La Cañada) added 10 off the bench to round out the double digit scorers for Brandeis.
• WCSU's Frances Snyder led the Colonials with 21 points, including a team-high five 3-pointers.
• Jancy Sherwood poured in 17 points off the bench, hitting three trifectas.
• Imani Baptiste added 13 points and led the visitors with six assists.
• Gabrielle Hurlbert and Genesis Torres each scored 11 points. Hurlbert also led the Colonials with four rebounds, while the two also tied for the team lead with four steals.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

• In the consolation game of the tournament, Husson defeated Rivier, 83-63, behind 14 points from Sami Ireland and 12 from Kenzie Worcester. Kaylee Kacavas had 24 in the losing effort for the Raiders.
• The All-Tournament team consisted of Kaylee Kacavas of Rivier; Kenzie Worcester of Husson; Camila Casanueva and Katherine Puda (Whitinsville, Mass. / Worcester Acad.) of Brandeis; and Francis Sawyer and tournament MVP Jancy Sherwood of Western Conn.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis hosts Emmanuel College on Tuesday evening at 5 p.m.