WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University women's basketball senior Camila Casanueva (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos) tied a school single-game record with seven 3-pointers en route to a game-high 25 points tonight as the Judges rolled past visiting UMass Boston, 77-55, in the 2021-22 season opener for both teams. Brandeis improves to 1-0 with the win, while the Beacons fall to 0-1.
Casanueva registered her fourth career game with 25 or more points by going 7-of-9 from downtown as part of an 8-of-10 overall performance. Her 7 trifectas tied the school record set by Jessica Chapin '10 against Carnegie Mellon in 2010. Casanueva hit three straight from beyond the arc late in the second period to help balloon a nine-point advantage to 18, the added another three trifectas in the third quarter before resting for most of the fourth period with the game well in hand. Casanueva was also outstanding on the glass, tying for game-high honors with eight rebounds.
Two other Judges scored in double digits tonight. Senior Kerry Tanke (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) finished 15 points on 7-of-13 from the field, while matching Casanueva's eight rebounds. Four of Tanke's boards came on the offensive glass. First-year forward Caitlin Gresko (Howell, N.J./Howell) added 10 points in her first collegiate game. Junior Emma Reavis (Miami, Okla. / Deerfield Academy) had a fine all-around game with seven points, a game-high six assists and five rebounds.
UMass Boston was paced by a pair of 12-point performances from Jasharee Green and Vienna Monestime. Both players scored eight of their 12 points in the second half. Rayla Gonzalez and Cathryn Sullivan led the Beacons with six points off the bench, while Kerriann Farina had a team-high four assists.
Brandeis never trailed in the game, scoring the first eight points and never looking back. The Judges hit eight of their first nine shots and were 10-of-18 from the field (55.6%) en route to a 25-16 lead. Though the Judges hit just 46.7% on 7-of-15 in the second period, Casanueva's late flurry from downtown gave them a 57.1% clip (4-7) from long distance in the period. They held UMB to just 28.6% (4-14) in the same stretch, taking a 46-24 lead at halftime. The Judges led by as many as 30 points early in the fourth quarter before the final 77-55 margin.
Brandeis will return to action on Friday evening at 5 p.m. when they take on Wheaton College in the opening round of the Brandeis Invitational Tip-Off Tournament, presented by The Park Lodge Hotel Group.