PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Brandeis University men's basketball team rallied from a 16-point deficit to take the lead in the second half, but the host Carnegie Mellon Tartans connected on their free throws down the stretch to earn a 78-73 University Athletic Association victory today.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 11-9, 3-6 UAA.
• Carnegie Mellon, 14-6, 6-3 UAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• CMU started the game fast, opening a 17-5 lead six-and-a-half minutes into the game.
• The Judges were hampered by two early fouls called on their leading scorer, sophomore Toby Harris (Durham, N.C./Durham Academy).
• They climbed back into the game, getting within four points at 26-22 on two free throws by first-year Quron Zene (Windsor, Conn./IMG Academy) with 5:12 to go before the break.
• The Tartans held the Judges to just one field goal the rest of the way in the half, scoring 12 in a row before Judge senior Terrell Brown (Lowell, Mass./Proctor Academy) hit a last-minute 3-pointer to get Brandeis within 38-25.
• With Harris back on the floor in the second half, they were able to climb back into the contest. Harris scored nine points in the first five minutes of the stanza, and junior Sam Adusei (Worcester, Mass./St. George's School) hit a 3-pointer with 15:03 on the clock to tie the game at 43-all.
• CMU reclaimed the lead, but Judge rookie Jake Bender (Hope, R.I./St. George's School) hit a jumper and a 3-pointer to give Brandeis its first lead since the opening bucket of the game, 51-49.
• The Judges were able to extend the lead to six on a couple of occasions, but the Tartans tied things up at 65-all on a Buckley Dejardin jumper with 3:42 left.
• The teams traded buckets on the next two possessions, and Brandeis's Adusei hit a second-chance lay-up with 2:28 on the clock to give Brandeis a 69-67 lead.
• Carnegie Mellon's R.J Holmes hit two free throws on the Tartans' next possession, and the rest of the game was decided at the free-throw line, as CMU hit 11-of-12 from the line down the stretch, while Brandeis was just 4-for-8, as the Tartans took the 78-73 lead.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Brandeis was led by Adusei, who finished with 15 points for his second-straight game with double-digit scoring. Thirteen of his 15 points came in the second half.
• Zene finished with 11 points – nine coming in the first half - five rebounds and three assists.
• Junior Ryan Power (Waltham, Mass./Waltham) had 10 points, six rebounds and five assists, both team-highs, while senior Darret Justice (Haymarket, Va. / Highland School) also had 10 points.
• Harris finished with nine points in just 16 minutes after playing just 1:41 in the first half.
• Carnegie Mellon's Holmes led all players with 19 points, 11 coming at the free-throw line. Dejardin added 15 points and game-high eight rebounds.
• Justin Allen scored 13 points and Josh Berry had 10 for the home team.
• The game was decided at the free-throw line, where CMU outscored Brandeis, 37-11. The Tartans converted 84% from the line (37-44), while the Judges hit just 48% (11-23).
• Brandeis was whistled for 27 fouls, while CMU committed 19.
• The Judges shot 41% from the field (26-64), compared to 42% for CMU (19-45). Brandeis also hit 10 3-pointers to just three for the Tartans.
• Rebounding was narrowly in favor of Carnegie Mellon, 38-35, while Brandeis won the turnover battle, 11-9.

UP NEXT

• The Judges return to Waltham for their last two home games of the season next weekend, kicking off against league-leading Washington University next Friday evening at 7:30 p.m.