CHICAGO, Ill. – The Brandeis women's basketball was within striking distance of host University of Chicago after three quarters, but the host Maroons barely missed in the fourth, hitting 12-of-14 shots to outscore the Judges, 28-17, and pull away for the 73-59 victory. The Judges fall to 8-8 overall, 1-4 in the University Athletic Association, while the Maroons improve to 10-6, 2-3 UAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Judges had the hot hand in the first quarter, taking a 19-13 lead thanks to eight points from junior Paris Hodges (Southampton, N.Y./Southampton).
• Hodges went 4-fo-4 from the field in the first 10 minutes as Brandeis hit 53% from the field (9-17).
• Brandeis was ahead, 25-21, with 5:43 left in the second quarter after a Heather Cain (Gloucester, Mass./Gloucester) lay-up.
• Chicago held the Judges without a field goal the rest of the way in the half, as the Maroons took a 27-25 lead on back-to-back jumpers by Elizabeth Nye.
• Hodges hit two free throws to tie the game, but UC's Olariche Obi converted a traditional three-point play with 21 seconds left to make it a three-point game. Hodges scored two more from the line with five ticks left to send the Judges to the locker room trailing by one, 30-29.
• The Maroons looked to pull away early in the third quarter, scoring the first nine points.
• The run started with  Nye trifecta, followed by Stephanie Anderson first dialing long distance, then converting an and-one situation to make it 39-29 just 2:14 into the second half.
• Brandeis responded by holding UC off the board for the next three minutes, getting within 39-35 after Hodges hit four in a row from the charity stripe.
• The Judges pulled within three on two Kyla Gabriel (Tivoli, N.Y./Red Hook) buckets, and a Sydney Sodine (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West) second-chance hoop just before the buzzer made it 45-42 with 10 minutes left in regulation.
• Chicago pulled away in the fourth with their torrid shooting. After hitting their first two shots, they missed two on the next possession. After that, the Maroons connected on their final 10 attempts, shooting 85.7% (12-14) while holding the Judges to just 36.8% (7-19).
• Britta Nordstrom had 10 points for UC in the quarter, while Nye had eight, as they outscored the Judges on their own. Cain had seven for Brandeis, but no other player had more than two points in the fourth.

FOR BRANDEIS

• Hodges led Brandeis in both scoring and rebounding for the first time this season.
• She had 18 points – one shy of a season-best – on 5-of-11 shooting from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 from the line.
• Hodges had a game-high 12 points in the first half.
• Her nine rebounds were a season-high and two shy of a career-best. Five came on the offensive glass.
• Cain added 11 points on 5-of-12 overall and 1-of-2 from the line. She also had three steals and two assists.

FOR CHICAGO

• Chicago put three starters in double figures: Nordstrom with a game-high 24 points; Nye with 17 and Anderson with 16.
• The trio scored 35 of their 57 points in the second half.
• Nordstrom hit 11-of-13 from the floor in the winning effort, including 7-of-7 in the second half.
• Obi led all players with 10 rebounds, while Caitlin Moore had five assists.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Brandeis outrebounded Chicago, 36-31, and had an 18-8 edge in second-chance points.
• Chicago was shooting just 42.2% (19-42) before their hot fourth quarter lifted them to 52.5% (31-59) for the game.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis returns home for another UAA weekend, taking on Case Western Reserve on Friday evening at 6 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. contest against Carnegie Mellon on Sunday for Alumni Family Day.
• Chicago continued a four-game UAA home stand next weekend with Emory and Rochester.