WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University men's basketball team had a pair of 20-point scorers tonight, but the Judges couldn't overcome a 30-point game from their opponents as the University of Chicago emerged with a 78-75 University Athletic Association victory in Red Auerbach Arena. With the loss, the Judges fall to 11-9 overall, 2-7 in the UAA. The Maroons improve to 10-12, 5-6 UAA, and snap a five-game losing streak against the Judges.

Brandeis was paced by a pair of graduate students, Collin Sawyer (New London, Conn./New London) and Tommy Eastman (Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima). Sawyer led the team with 26 points for the game, 20 of which came in the second half. He shot 9-for-20 overall, 3-for-8 from downtown, and 5-for-5 from the line. Sawyer also paced the Judges with three assists. Eastman added 24 points, 14 after the intermission. He connected on 9-of-19 overall, 2-of-8 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-8 from the line. He also led the Judges with nine rebounds. Senior Nolan Hagerty (Yarmouth, Maine/Yarmouth) added 10 points on a perfect 5-for-5 night from the field.

Unfortunately, Chicago's Brandon Beckman outdid the Judges with 30 points on the night. He hit 19 in the second half, six-of-seven from 3-point range, several in clutch situations. Beckman scored five in a row with the visitors trailing, 52-50, and they never trailed again. When the Judges closed to within 67-65 with 2:34 remaining, he hit another from long distance and added a dagger with just under a minute to go to turn a five-point game into a 77-69 lead for UC.

Chicago also got 13 points from Bryce Hopkins and 10 from Zach Munson. Hopkins tied Eastman for game-high honors with nine rebounds, while Elliot Paschal had a game-high five assists.  

The teams were relatively evenly matched on the evening, with both hitting 28 field goals – 28-for-55 for Chicago (51%) and 28-for-59 (48%) for Brandeis – and both going 12-for-18 (67%) from the line. Chicago's 10 3-pointers to 7 for the Judges made the difference, with the Maroons hitting a 53% clip (10-19) to 28% for Brandeis (7-25). Brandeis owned a 33-32 edge in rebounding and won the turnover battle, 10-9, outscoring UC 15-12 in points off the miscues.

The Judges return to action on Sunday afternoon against #17-ranked Washington University at 12 p.m., when they celebrate Senior Day.