WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis women's basketball team could never quite overcome a sluggish start today as the Judges dropped a 63-50 University Athletic Association (UAA) contest to visiting University of Chicago in Red Auerbach Arena today. With the loss, the Judges fall to .500 on the season at 12-12 overall, 5-8 in UAA. Chicago improves to 15-9, 7-6 UAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Judges were frigid from the field in the first period, shooting just 1-of-10 from the field as they trailed 14-4.
• They bounced back quickly in the second quarter, scoring the first seven points of the stanza thanks to a couple of early steals. Brandeis got to 14-11 on a three-point play by junior Frankie Pinto (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) at the 8:53 mark.
• The Judges forced UC into a shot clock violation on the next possession, but couldn't convert. The teams traded seven empty possessions before the Maroons' Caitlin Moore connected on a 3-pointer to give the visitors some breathing room.
• A traditional three-point play by Chicago's Stephanie Anderson with 4:40 remaining pushed the Maroon lead back to seven at 20-13.
• Brandeis responded with a 7-1 run of their own over the next two minutes, thanks another and-one by Pinto and a Maria Jackson (Rochester, N.Y./Hilton) put-back that made it 21-20 with 2:31 left in the half.
• Chicago answered with an Elizabeth Nye jumper and another three-point play by Anderson, and the teams traded two more buckets before the half as the Maroons took a 28-22 lead into the break.
• The visitors looked to pull away in the third, when they pushed their lead as large as 13 points on an Olariche Obi lay-up with 3:13 to go.
• The Maroons outscored Brandeis, 21-16, for the period and outshot the hosts, 50% (7-14) to 25% (4-16), as they took a 49-38 edge into the fourth.
• Brandeis scored the first two buckets of the final period to get within seven at 49-42 on a Noel Hodges (Southampton, N.Y./Southampton) hoop, but that was as close as the Judges would get the rest of the way.
• Chicago outscored Brandeis, 14-12, in the fourth quarter to take the 13-point win and complete the season sweep.

FOR BRANDEIS

• Senior guard Heather Cain (Gloucester, Mass./Gloucester) led all scorers with 12 points, eight coming in the second half.
• Cain needed 3-10 shooting overall and 2-of-5 from downtown, 4-of-6 from the line, to get there.
• Junior forward Sydney Sodine (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West) added 10 points.
• Cain and Jackson tied for team-high honors with eight rebounds. Jackson got six of her eight boards on the offensive glass.
• Cain and Hodges tied for team-high honors with three assists, and Cain also led Brandeis with three steals.

FOR CHICAGO

• The Maroons had five players scored either 10 or 11 points.
• Obi had eight of her 11 points in the first quarter. She finished one rebound shy of a double-double with nine. Obi also had three blocked shots.
• Anderson and Nye also finished with 11 thanks one big quarter. Anderson scored seven in the second, Nye added five in the fourth.
• Moore and Rachel West each had 10 for UC.
• Britta Nordstrom led all players with four assists off the bench, while Nye had three steals to match Cain.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Brandeis owned the glass, 39-28, but Chicago had a 24-14 advantage in scoring in the paint.
• Brandeis's four-point first quarter was their lowest scoring 10-minute stretch of the season.
• Chicago finished the game shooting 48.9% from the field (23-47) while holding the Judges to 29.1% (16-55).

UP NEXT

• The Judges will take on rival NYU next Saturday at 1 p.m. for Senior Day as they look to finish the regular season with a winning record.
• Chicago will host Washington University at 1 p.m. Central time.

For more information on Brandeis Athletics, please visit brandeisjudges.com or follow us on Twitter or Instagram @brandeisjudges, or follow us on Facebook.

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