WALTHAM, Mass. – Junior forward Caitlin Malcolm (Windsor Locks, Conn.) scored a career-high 33 points and pulled down 15 rebounds tonight as the Brandeis University women's basketball team bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 68-57 win over the visiting Tufts University Jumbos in Auerbach Arena tonight.

Brandeis (11-1) led 35-28 at halftime as Malcolm poured in 23 points, just five fewer than the Tufts team combined. Malcolm was two rebounds shy of the double-double before the intermission with eight caroms. For the game, Malcolm shot 10-of-16 from the floor, hitting both of her 3-point attempts, and was 11-for-14 from the free-throw line. She also had a game-high four steals.

The Judges also got 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists from sophomore guard Jaime Capra (Old Bridge, N.J.). Senior guard Amanda DeMartino (Toms River, N.J.) was one shy of her career-best with eight assists, four of which were on buckerts by Malcolm. The Judges, ranked No. 7 in the nation by d3hoops.com, outscored Tufts from the line, 22-11, and owned a 40-30 advantage on the boards to offset 25 turnovers, their second-highest total of the season.

Tufts (7-7) played a tough contest despite leading for just 30 seconds midway through the first half. The Jumbos trailed by as many as 12 points early in the second, 44-43, but they were able to climb within two points on sophomore guard Jenna Gomez's (Norfolk, Mass.) jumper with 6:13 left in the contest. Tufts held Brandeis to just two field goals over a 10 minute span in the second half. A lay-up by sophomore forward Khalilah Ummah (Litchfield, Maine) brought Tufts within 54052 with 3:58 to go, but the visitors could never get over the hump as Brandeis closed on a 14-5 run.

The Jumbos were paced by Ummah's 13 points off the bench. She hit six-of-nine form the floor and one-of-two free throws. Junior guard Valerie Krah (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) also reached double figures with 10 points. Junior forward Laura Jasinski (Leverett, Mass.) led the visitors with four rebounds, while classmate Taryn Miller-Stevens (Avon, Conn.) had four assists.

Brandeis is next in action with a key University Athletic Association contest at the University of Chicago on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m., while Tufts is at Williams for a NESCAC showdown at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.