Last-minute 3 dooms men against CMU, 65-64

Ryan Power shoots a 3-pointer with a defender  charging at him
Ryan Power '24 (Photo by Sportspix.com)

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University men's basketball team led by 17 points with 15 minutes to go in the game but visiting Carnegie Mellon took their first lead of the second half on a 3-pointer with 1:06 to go and the Tartans hung on for a 65-64 University Athletic Association road victory today in Red Auerbach Arena.

TEAM RECORDS

  • Brandeis: 11-7, 3-4 UAA.
  • Carnegie Mellon, 12-6, 4-3 UAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • CMU scored the game's first five points and held the lead until Brandeis senior Dylan Lien (Northborough, Mass./Worcester Academy) hit lay-up to make it 11-9 with 13:26 to go in the first.
  • CMU's Buckley DeJardin and Brandeis sophomore Toby Harris (Durham, N.C./Durham Academy) traded 3-pointers on the next two possessions. After Harris's bucket, the Judges scored the next five points to open up a seven-point lead.
  • The Judges were ahead by one, 25-24, with 4:40 to go in the first, and closed the stanza on an 11-2 run, with first-year forward Quron Zene (Windsor, Conn./IMG Academy) hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Brandeis a 36-26 lead.
  • Brandeis scored nine of the first 11 points of the second half, taking their largest lead of 17 points on a Ryan Power (Waltham, Mass./Waltham) trifecta that made if 45-28 with 16:48 on the clock.
  • A Harris dunk with 15 minutes left kept the Judges' lead at 17, 47-30.
  • The Tartans made their run at that point, getting back within 10 by scoring the next seven in a row.
  • Brandeis's Lien stopped the momentum briefly with a 3-pointer, but the Tartans were able to get within one possession on a couple of occasions.
  • CMU got within 64-62 on a pair of Dejardin free throws with 1:37 left. The Tartans got a stop, and on the ensuing possession, Jack Stone hit a corner 3 to give the Tartans a 65-64 lead.
  • The Judges had two chances to go ahead in the final minute, but good looks from Lien and Power just wouldn't drop and the Tartans escaped with the win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

  • Four Brandeis starters scored in double figures. Power led the way with 13 points, while Lien and Harris each had 12. Zene finished with 10 points.
  • Zene also led the Judges with seven rebounds and five assists, tied with sophomore Griffin Wallbridge (Longmeadow, Mass. / Tabor Academy). The assist totals were career-highs for both.
  • CMU's Stone led all players with 19 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer. He also had a game-high eight rebounds. RJ Holmes added 13 points.
  • Nick Nakasian had six assists to lead the Tartans, while Josh Berry had five.
  • The Tartans outshot Brandeis, 48.9% to 43.6%, including 54.2% to 32.1% in the second half. The Judges had the shooting edge in the first, 55.6% to 43.5%.
  • CMU outrebounded Brandeis, 33-23, balancing out Brandeis's 17-13 turnover edge and 19-7 advantage in points off turnovers.

UP NEXT

  • Brandeis and Carnegie Mellon will meet again next Sunday at 12 p.m. in Pittsburgh. The Judges take on Case Western Reserve before than on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Cleveland.