WALTHAM, Mass. - Senior forward Cassidy Dadaos (Healdsburg, Calif./Healdsburg) scored 12 of her team- and career-high 14 points in the first half as the Brandeis University women's basketball team jumped out to a 52-16 lead at the break and never looked back as the Judges defeated the visiting Wellesley College Blue, 76-44, in Red Auerbach Arena tonight.
Brandeis (4-0), which scored the first 11 points of the game, won their seventh-straight in the series as 15 of the 16 active members of the roster got in the scoring column. Dadaos led the way with her 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 from the line. She also tied for team-high honors with five rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. Classmate Lauren Orlando (Peabody, Mass./Peabody) also reached double figures in scoring with 12 points, going 6-for-6 from the line and hitting both of her 3-point attempts. Junior guard Jessica Chapin (Mendon, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima) had a fine all-around game with nine points, five boards, five steals and four assists, while rookie Kelly Ethier (Springfield, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) knocked down three 3-pointers for a career-high nine points. The Judges scored 33 points off 25 Wellesley turnovers and owned a 30-20 edge in points in the paint.
Wellesley (2-2) saw their two-game winning streak snapped despite a game-high 16 points from senior center Jessica Duff (Milton, Abingdon, UK/Saline), who connected on 6-of-15 from the field. Duff scored 11 of her 16 points in the second half in which the Blue outscored Brandeis, 28-24. Wellesley also got a double-double performance from senior forward Julia Thomas (Concord, Calif./Northgate), who had 12 points and led all players with 10 rebounds. Seven of her 10 boards came on the offensive glass. Rookie Robin Burlseon (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) added seven points thanks to a perfect 4-for-4 performance from the line.
Brandeis is next in action on Sunday afternoon when they travel to Medford, Mass., to take on their second nationally-ranked opponent of the season, No. 16 Tufts University. Wellesley's next contest is next Tuesday at Wentworth Institute of Technology.