Hot 3-point shooting lifts women to Tip-Off Tourney title, 72-54, over Framingham State

Brandeis Women's Basketball 2019 Tip-Off Tournament Champions!
Brandeis Women's Basketball 2019 Tip-Off Tournament Champions!

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University women's basketball team connected on 14 3-pointers, with seven different players hitting from beyond the arc as the Judges defeated Framingham State University, 72-54, in the championship game of the Brandeis University Tip-Off Tournament, presented by the Park Lodge Hotel Group. The Judges improve to 2-0 with the win, while the Rams fall to 2-1.

Brandeis saw four players score in double figures, paced by 15 from junior Camila Casanueva (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos), who had two 3-pointers. She also tied for the team lead with eight rebounds. Junior Courtney Thrun (Regina, Sask. / Wilbraham Monson Academy) added 13 points off the bench, seven coming in the first half, while junior Jillian Petrie (Marlborough, Mass./Marlborough) had 12 points. Both players also had two 3-pointers. Junior guard Katherine Puda (Whitinsville, Mass./Worcester Academy) finished with 11 points and a game-high three 3-pointers, while tying Casanueva with eight rebounds. Senior Lauren Rubinstein (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug) had two trifectas and a game-high five assists, while rookie Emma Reavis (Miami, Okla. / Deerfield Academy) had one 3-pointer and led all players with three steals. Overall, the Judges connected on 14-of-30 from beyond the arc (46.7%) while keeping FSU to 5-of-19 (26.3%).

Framingham State put three players in double digits in scoring, led by 13 points off the bench from rookie forward Flannery O'Connor and 12 each from senior guard Emily Velozo and rookie guard Gwnedolyn Carpenter. Senior center Julia Sanborn led all players with 12 rebounds as the Rams edged Brandeis, 44-43, on the glass. She also blocked three shots.

The game saw just two lead changes, as Casanueva started the game with a traditional three-point play, followed by the next seven points from FSU, the last five by rookie forward Katty Haidul. Thrun and rookie Francesca Marchese (Staten Island, N.Y. / Staten Island Academy) answered from beyond the arc to make it 9-7 Brandeis with 2:45 left in the first and the Judges never trailed again. It was 15-12 after one quarter, and though the visitors would get within one point on a few occasions in the second quarter, another set of back-to-back 3s from Petrie and Casanueva put Brandeis back on top by seven, 26-19, midway through the period. Casanueva and Thrun would each dial long distance again before the end of the half, giving the Judges a 36-25 lead at the break.

In the third quarter, Puda bookended the period with 3-pointers. The second came with five seconds left and halted an 8-0 run for the Rams that had trimmed the Brandeis lead to 44-41. The fourth quarter opened on a 14-4 run that featured four more 3-pointers, including two by Rubinstein, the last of which extended Brandeis's lead to 61-45. The Judges cruised from there, leading by as many as 21 points down the stretch.

In the consolation game of today's tournament, Eastern Nazarene edged Nichols, 66-63, thanks to 19 points and 10 rebounds by sophomore Stevie Orton, offsetting a tournament-high 25 points off the bench Nichols' Alexis Finnerty, who also had seven rebounds, five steals and three assists.

The All-Tournament Team consisted of Finnerty from Nichols, Orton of Eastern Nazarene, O'Connor and Sanborn from Framingham State, and Casanueva and Petrie from Brandeis. Petrie was named the Tournament MVP.

Brandeis returns to action with their first road contest of the season on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at Roger Williams University.