CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Brandeis women's basketball team battled back to tie a game in which they trailed by eight points, but the Judges were unable to overcome a large discrepancy in free throws and turnovers as they dropped a 58-51 University Athletic Association decision at Case Western Reserve University. 

Brandeis (9-5, 1-2 UAA) trailed Case (7-7, 1-2 UAA) for much of the second half. Down eight, 45-37, with 6:36 to go after the Spartans' Jessica McCoy hit two free throws, the Judges erased the deficit in rapid fashion. Junior guard Niki Laskaris (Swampscott, Mass./Swampscott) connected twice from 3-point range in a span of 1:21 to get the visitors within two at 45-43. Case Western Reserve missed their next four foul shots, allowing sophomore guard Paris Hodges (Southampton, Mass./Southampton) to tie the game at 45-45 with 4:03 to go. 

Case went back ahead by two at the line before senior Hannah Cain (Gloucester, Mass./Gloucester) knotted the game again at 47 with 3:07 left. Both teams had a chance to go ahead with two empty possessions before CWRU's Brooke Orcutt put the hosts ahead for good with a jumper from Berit Eppard with 71 seconds left in the game. Orcutt then solidified the lead with a steal on Brandeis's next possession, hitting two free throws to make it a four-point game. Case's Amanda Germer made another steal and a lay-up with the clock under 30 seconds to help ice the game, and the Spartans hit five of six from the line for the final 58-51 margin.

Brandeis was paced by Laskaris, who scored eight of her team-high 14 points in the second half, including her only two 3-pointers in the big run. Cain finished with 10 points and three assists. Sophomore Sydney Sodine (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West) added 10 rebounds, tying a career-high. With nine points off the bench, Hodges outscored the entire Case reserves. 

The Judges owned a 48-34 advantage on the glass, but it wasn't enough to overcome two big deficits. Case outscored Brandeis, 15-3 from the line, taking 24 shots from the strip to just seven for the Judges. Brandeis also commited 25 turnovers while forcing only 12, although the points off those turnovers was only a 20-16 edge for the Spartans. 

Case got 23 points from Orcutt, who hit 8-of-19 overall from the field, 1-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 6-of-7 from the line. Eppard had 10 points and a team-high six rebounds. 

Brandeis returns home next weekend to face the University of Chicago on Friday night at 6 p.m.