WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University women's basketball team led nearly wire-to-wire for the second-straight game today as the Judges defeated the visiting Gordon College Fighting Scots, 74-45, in a non-conference contest in Red Auerbach Arena. With the win, Brandeis improves to 6-2 for the first time since the 2014-15 season. Gordon falls to 2-7.
After giving up the game's first basket, Brandeis senior Noel Hodges (Southampton, N.Y./Southampton) found sophomore Hannah Nicholson (Sunderland, Vt./Burr and Burton Academy) for three-straight hoops in the paint and the Judges never looked back. The Judges owned a 20-13 lead after one period, then shot 62 percent from the floor in the second (8-of-13) to outscore the visitors by a 21-8 margin and take a 41-21 lead into the half.
The third period was more of the same, as Brandeis hit 55 percent (6-of-11) from the field to win the period, 17-8. The Judges cruised from there, leading by as many as 37 points in the fourth period before taking the 29-point victory.
Brandeis had a balanced attack, with 12 different players scoring points, including three in double figures. Junior Sarah Jaromin (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) and sophomore Katie Goncalo (Fall River, Mass./Tabor Academy) tied for game-high honors with 14 points each, while Nicholson finished with 13. For Jaromin, her 14 points were a career-high, coming on 5-of-8 from the field, 2-of-4 from 3-point range and 2-of-3 from the line. Goncalo was 5-of-9 overall, 3-of-4 from deep and 1-of-1 from the charity stripe.
Hodges finished with five assists to lead the Judges. Brandeis outrebounded Gordon, 34-33, despite no single player grabbing more than three caroms. Eleven different Judges pulled down two or three rebounds. Brandeis shot a season-high 50.9% from the floor (27-for-53), including season bests from beyond the arc with eight 3-pointers coming at a 40% clip (8-for-20).
For Gordon, sophomore Sarah Gibbs (Elizabethtown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) scored a team-high 13 points on 6-of-13 from the field and 1-of-2 from the line. She also tied with Scot rookie Abby Vampatella (Mansfield Center, Conn./Edwin O. Smith) with a game-high five rebounds. Junior Jess Ryan (Milford, N.H./Milford) added 10 points off the bench for the visitors.
Brandeis returns to action just before the new year with a December 29 home game against Endicott College at 1 p.m. Gordon plays host to Thomas College on December 30 at 3 p.m.